Renegade
by anime-patriot
Summary: At school, no one befriends the "dangerous" outsider. But when a class project brings Inuyasha and popular Kagome together, she sees from a new light—and he's happy for once in years. Will they rebel against all they've known if it means being together?
1. Chapter 1

**Well here is the story I've been working on for awhile now. I hope you all enjoy Renegade, let me know what you think in a review!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any portions of the Inuyasha franchise rights. Summary was made for me by Purduepup, because I suck at them DX**

**Summary: **_At school, no one befriends the "dangerous" outsider. But when a class project brings Inuyasha and popular Kagome together, she sees from a new light—and he's happy for once in years. Will they rebel against all they've known if it means being together?_

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 1~<strong>_

_Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!_

A soft groan was heard underneath the bundled comforters, and a slender arm reached out from under the heavy blankets, blindly reaching for the snooze button.

Success.

After silencing the nuisance that disturbed her peaceful slumber, the young brunette started to fall back to sleep, her arm falling limply down against the side of her bed, no longer shielded by the comforter. Before she could comfortably fall back into her dreams, she heard an angered voice.

"Kagome, wake up! You're going to be late for school!"

It was her mother. Kagome only grumbled back unintelligibly—it was something along the lines of "Today is Saturday…" Her mother rolled her eyes and pulled the warm covers off of Kagome's body, making the teen immediately pull into a ball from the sudden chill from her room.

She cracked an eye open at her mom then looked at the calendar she kept on the wall next to her bed, and her eyes widened with the sudden realization that it was Friday, not Saturday as she had originally believed. Nearly leaping out of her bed, she quickly grabbed some clothes from her closet and hurried into the bathroom.

Her mother shook her head and fixed the covers back onto her daughter's bed. "Kagome, if you keep this up, you're going to fall behind in school! And you'll be kicked out of your clubs and off the student council!" she shouted towards the bathroom.

Kagome only rolled her eyes as she quickly brushed her teeth. "I know!" she shouted back, trying to hurry through her usually even-paced routine. She quickly shed her pajamas and threw on her underwear, jeans, and a white, low-cut blouse, though her green cami underneath it shielded most of her cleavage but left a fairly decent amount exposed.

She quickly applied her lip gloss, eyeliner, mascara, and some light green eye-shadow. The brunette looked at herself in the mirror, admiring how well her makeup actually looked since it was rushed. But her hair was a different story. She let out a frustrated sigh, brushing through her soft and silky waves, trying to straighten it out as much as she could since she didn't care for her hair in its natural state: wavy. There was no way she had time to use an actual flat iron; with that mental reminder, she groaned in disdain again. Finally, she gave up, semi-satisfied with her tresses and the way they fell.

She headed out of the bathroom and spotted her alarm clock: _7:45AM_. Fuck. She had school in fifteen minutes. She mentally cursed again. She wouldn't have time for breakfast, and she still had to get her homework together! She hurried through, shoving her binder and the papers from the previous night into her messenger bag, and practically ran out of her room. Ten minutes to get to school.

She hurried down her flight of stairs, skipping every other step, waving once to her mother, getting her converse shoes on quickly and leaving. She hurried to the bus stop, knowing she'd have to wait another ten minutes by now for the next one to come by and take her to school. The brunette looked around and heard something she dreaded. Thunder.

'_Please don't rain…please don't rain…PLEASE DON'T FUCKING RAIN!'_ she mentally pleaded, closing her eyes and crossing her fingers. Though she was under the cover of the bus stop, that didn't change the fact she didn't bring an umbrella. Dammit… It began raining.

Could this day get any worse?

Answer: Yes, it could.

As she reached into her pocket, she nearly let out a roar. No. Cell. Phone. She now had no idea how late she was going to be. The rain started pouring down harder, and the clouds grew darker. Kagome covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Kagome, the morning so far is shitty…that means the rest of the day will be good, right? Right?" she said out loud to herself, trying to keep her spirits up that it wasn't going to turn out being one of THOSE days. She hated THOSE days. As she uncovered her face, she looked to her right and noticed an older woman standing next to her, looking at her as if she was a freak for talking to herself.

Clearing her throat, Kagome adjusted the strap on her messenger bag and gave a polite smile to the woman. "Uhm, excuse me, ma'am—do you know the time?"

The woman nodded once and looked at her wrist. "It's _8:08_," the woman courteously responded. Kagome had an inner panic attack. Dammit all. She finally sighed and thanked the woman, giving up any hope of even _getting_ to school before noon at this rate.

As soon as she gave up hope, the bus pulled up to the stop. It was late, but at least it had shown up. She hurried in and showed her bus pass to the driver.

—_xxxxxx_—

As she arrived to school, she pulled her binder out and shielded her hair from the rain, running into the building and heading to her first period class: History. As she walked in, all eyes were on her. "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Okinawa," she said softly, trying to keep her inner irritation down—he had no clue how her morning had went.

"It's alright, Miss Higurashi; please take your seat. You're late for the test. But lucky for you, we just started about ten minutes ago. Just don't let yourself be this late again," he said, gesturing to her empty desk in the front. _'Lucky?' _Did her teacher really just use that word around her?

'_Fuck. My. Life,'_ she inwardly thought. She had completely forgot she had a History test today. And that jogged her memory into remembering she had a debate to do for her English class. She sighed and sat at her desk, setting her things down and looking at the test her teacher swiftly placed in front of her.

Kagome didn't want to look up at the clock. She didn't want to. She didn't want to. She _really_ didn't want to. She pulled a pen out of her messenger bag and glanced up at the clock. _8:25_. The brunette wanted to slam her head down on her desk—she had so little time to catch up and finish.

After speeding through the multiple choice and true or false questions, she focused on the short answer. She glanced up at the clock. She was actually making good time; she had fifteen minutes left to answer the three questions. _'Okay, five minutes per question… I can do this_," she silently cheered.

The teen managed to make it through two of the questions, whose answers turned out being longer than she had thought. The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and she sighed, figuring it was good enough. As she was leaving, she handed the paper to her teacher and left.

"Kagome! Hey, Kagome, wait up!" shouted a familiar voice behind her. The hazel-eyed teen turned around towards the person who was calling her name: one of her best friends, Eri. "Hey, Eri, what is it?" Kagome asked curiously.

"The girls and I were wondering if you want to sleep over tonight since we have a three-day weekend and everything—sleep over until Sunday?" the hyper raven-haired girl spoke, obviously wanting Kagome to spend time with her and their other friends.

"Yeah, sure; I don't think my mom would have a problem with that," Kagome said after thinking it over. "It sounds like a lot of fun, too."

"Well, it better be," Eri said, moving some of her hair behind her ear. She looked as if she was readying to say something else but stopped, her eyes growing a little bigger and glancing to the left, over Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows and glanced over her shoulder in the direction her friend was looking. Coming down the hall towards them was the guy otherwise known as the "school badass," Inuyasha. His jeans were baggy, but weren't ridiculously sagged. His bright red shirt was a dead giveaway of whom it was—it might as well have been his signature feature, as well as the red bandana covering part of his shoulder-length onyx colored hair. The teen also had two earrings, one in each ear.

As he passed by them, he gave a side glance to Kagome and Eri, obviously catching their stares, and continued walking without giving them another glance back.

"Jeez, that Inuyasha guy is pretty intimidating. I don't really know why he's even here; he doesn't care about school," Eri said with a roll of her eyes.

Kagome only shrugged. "He's in my English class," she said quietly.

"But you're in advanced placement, aren't you?" the raven-haired girl inquired.

Kagome nodded in response. "Yeah, but I guess he obviously is too. Anyway…we better get going. The hallways are starting to clear out, and I don't want to be late for Calculus." Kagome watched as her friend's eyes widened, realizing her next class was halfway across the school and she would be late.

"Catch ya later, Kagome!" she said as she ran off. Kagome smiled and shook her head, turning and heading to her class.

Making it through her day with no major issues, Kagome could breathe in relief at last. She had practiced her debate at lunch with her friends Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri. It was now her last period of the school day: English.

Kagome walked in and sat down, looking across at the other side of the room at the young man who had passed by her earlier: Inuyasha. He seemed to be writing something down on a piece of paper, but wasn't paying much attention to the groups that were presenting their debate issues.

The young brunette shrugged and looked back at the front of the class before her teacher noticed her lack of attention, and took down the required notes on the groups that everyone had to do to make sure they were paying close attention.

Kagome looked up when the teacher called off her group number. She stood up and walked to the front of the class with the other members of her debate. One of the guys pulled up the PowerPoint presentation they had made to go along with their argument as required.

As her group began discussing their topic of _The Use of Torture to Extract Information_ (catchy, right?), Kagome began to space out as she talked, her eyes roaming over the students in front of her. Some looked lost, some looked bored, and only a few looked genuinely interested. One of the ones that looked interested, though, caught her off-guard.

Inuyasha.

Why was she noticing him so much more today? She had never paid him much mind before. She snapped back to reality and finished her portion, letting her partners continue on and finish up.

They received the short, polite applause from their fellow students and took their seats again. Kagome stretched in her seat, wishing the day was over already and hoping it had stopped raining by now. She returned to her notes, mindlessly jotting them down as if she was nothing but a programmed robot.

'_Crap…'_ she mentally swore, remembering she had a student council meeting after school to discuss ways to save money for a senior field trip. The trip was for the winter; it was only a few weeks away, and they _still_ hadn't set enough money aside. She rolled her eyes and silently criticized her school's methods of saving and spending money.

After school, Kagome met up with Yuka and told her that she had a meeting to go to, but she'd go home directly after school to get ready for the sleepover. She sped off, not giving Yuka time to react.

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><p><em><strong>Well that does it for the first chapter, let me know what you all think and whether or not you want me to continue the story and all that good stuff.<strong>_

_**If you all like it then the next update will be up next week. ^_^ Thanks again ahead of time for all of your reviews, in case Fan-Fiction refuses to let me respond to each one.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two of Renegade, seems like a good amount of people enjoy the story so far so I hope that I don't disappoint any of you. ^_^ Let me know what you think in a review of chapter two! (Hah, that rhymed…Yes. I am a dork. :P )**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT nor have I ever owned the rights to the InuYasha franchise. DX**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 2~<strong>_

The sound of a car alarm rang throughout the streets.

There was the faintest sound of a police car in the distance accompanied by a fire truck's siren. The street lights flickered every few seconds, forming a silent beat that had become familiar to the residents who lived on the block.

With his hands shoved in his pockets, Inuyasha walked down the dark sidewalk, ignoring a bum who was sitting at the opening of an alleyway. He looked around at the worn-down apartment buildings as if he was looking for something. Or someone.

Finally, he reached a stoop that had three other men sitting on the steps, one with a bottle of liquor, another with a cigarette of some sort with an all-too-recognizable smell: weed. The third was without anything and was the one to notice the young male.

"Hey, Inuyasha! Where the hell have you been? That stupid old high school?" the man said with disdain in his voice.

Inuyasha nodded once. "Yeah. If I don't show at least most of the time, I'll get a truant officer on my ass and probably put on parole," he nonchalantly said.

The man leaned his head back a bit. "Ah, I see. Wanna blaze it?" he asked, dropping his previous question.

Inuyasha shook his head. "You know I don't smoke that shit. I'll sell it, but I'm not going to smoke it," he reminded the older male.

"Meh, you're just a pussy. Go inside; I think Naraku has a job for you anyway," the other man said, obviously having grown annoyed by Inuyasha's refusal.

Only nodding, the teen headed into the building and ascended the creaking flight of stairs. His eyes glanced over the peeling, off-hue wallpaper of the halls as he looked for the correct room. The onyx-haired male eyed the faded door and knocked twice.

The door opened after a few long seconds, letting the teen male inside. The room was filled with smoke, there was an obvious sound of moans and grunts coming from the bedrooms. Not to mention there was a man on the small, worn-out couch in the living room preoccupied with a woman as well.

He led himself to a window that led to the fire escape, figuring that Naraku would be there. Once outside, he spotted the older man, who was leaning on the iron rail looking down at the streets below. "It's about time. I have a delivery I need you to make by midnight. Don't be late. Take the duffle bag from the master bedroom to this address," he spoke sternly, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Inuyasha.

"Once you drop off the bag, burn that paper. We don't need any evidence of this," he said in his monotone type voice.

Inuyasha only nodded and stuck the paper in his pocket. "What time is it now?" the teen asked quietly, trying to not irritate the man who was the appointed leader of the gang he was involved in.

"It's nearing _11:30_, so you better get a move on. It'll take you about twenty minutes to get there from here if you leave now. Take my car—you know where the keys are."

With that, Inuyasha questioned no further and did as instructed. He grabbed the keys and the duffle bag from the said bedroom, attempting to ignore the explicit scene that was taking place on the bed between a woman and two other men.

He left the room quickly and headed to Naraku's car, hopping in and speeding off towards his destination. He didn't know what was in the duffle bag, but had learned to keep his nose out of places it didn't belong.

Even if Naraku couldn't see him, he had eyes all over the place and would somehow find out Inuyasha peeked. For all the teen knew, the car was bugged with a camera and microphone of some sort. The older male could be quite the paranoid one, especially when drunk or high, which it was ninety-percent of the time he was at least one of those things.

As he pulled up to the address, he took out his lighter and began burning the small piece of paper, placing it in the car's ash tray and watching it as it burned away into soot.

—_xxxxx_—

Kagome laughed as she and her friends joked around, discussing various guys at their schools, clubs, activities, how far they've ever gotten with a guy, what colleges they were looking to go to, and much more.

"Wait! So, Kagome, you've only ever kissed a guy?" Ayumi asked. Ironically, she was the one who had gotten the farthest yet, and she was the most "innocent" in the mind. Of course, she had a boyfriend of three years to credit for taking her virginity.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, and I don't have much time for a boyfriend anyway. With everything I have going on at school, you know," she reasoned, eating some ice cream out of the small pint each of the girls had gotten.

Yuka smirked at Kagome. "Well, what about getting felt up? I've done that at least with an old boyfriend; 'course that was only once, but still."

Kagome shook her head at the question. "No, not really. I know _a lot_, but I haven't done much. Anyway, can we get off the subject of _my_ virginity?" she mused at her friends, who were always the nosy bunch about her personal life.

"No! It's fun," Yuka defended, and kept prodding for more. "Well, who in school are you interested in? There has to be at least one—maybe Hojo?"

With the mention of the young male's name, all three girls moved closer to Kagome, who only raised an eyebrow back. "Hojo? No way; he's too…goody-goody, I guess? I mean, he's a nice guy and he deserves a great girl, but it's just not for me."

The other three girls sighed and rolled their eyes in unison. "Don't tell us—you want that bad boy type, huh? That's such a cliché, Kagome!" Eri said sarcastically.

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "No, I want a nice guy, but one who knows how to have fun and can be serious when the moment calls for it. If that means waiting for one to come along, then so be it."

"Well, you never know what your _true_ type is until you give the guy a shot," Yuka chimed in. "Besides, you two would make an absolutely cute couple!"

Kagome only shook her head. "I don't think so. I think he and I are better at being friends…"

Letting the topic go after a while, the girls changed to talking about what they were going to do in the morning and had all agreed to see a movie and go out to eat lunch. Soon, they were all passed out, asleep, with all their chips, ice cream, cookies, and candies in between them.

—_xxxxx_—

Inuyasha walked into the apartment complex and up another flight of stairs with the duffle bag slung on his shoulder.

He was looking for the right drop-off spot as stated on the small piece of paper he had burned. "Hey there, looking for a good time? It'd only cost ya three hundred," a woman said seductively, standing in the worn-down doorway of what he assumed was her apartment.

The teen ignored the woman and kept walking; he didn't want anything to delay him, especially something like that. He brushed past a large man who was walking down the hall opposite to him, and didn't bother to look back even after the man uttered an insult at him.

He reached the last room on the right of the hall and knocked at the door. He shifted the duffle bag around and heard a soft clink inside of it. His curiosity grew, but he resisted his temptations to look as the door to the apartment opened. There was a foul stench seeping out of the seedy-looking room, and he quietly handed over the bag to a man that stood in front of him.

The man looked sickly—he had deep bags under his eyes, a thinned face, his lips were cracked and chapped, and his hair looked wispy and lackluster in color. "Naraku sent you?" he asked in a gritty and raspy voice. Inuyasha only nodded once and looked back down the hall, noticing a few men blocking the stairwell he had come from, one being the man he had brushed past.

"Don't look at those guys when I'm talking to you. Come in," the man said roughly, more of a demand than a request.

Inuyasha didn't argue and walked inside the apartment. The pungent odor in the apartment forced its way into his nostrils. It almost made him want to gag. It smelled as if it were a toxic mixture of cat piss, bleach, or even drain cleaner.

Also present in the room was a smoky haze that was coming from one of the backrooms, where the man had disappeared to. He glanced around the area he was in—the wallpaper on the walls was nearly nonexistent, the windows were barred, and the lone couch looked as if it had just been moved out of a junkyard. From the smell in the apartment, the teen wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case.

Inuyasha rubbed his eyes as the smoke beginning messing with his vision. As he looked back up, the skeletal-like man was standing mere inches from his face, making Inuyasha take a few steps back automatically. "What's your name, boy?" the man asked in an urgent manner.

"Inu. If I may ask…why am I here, and why can't I leave?" he asked, wanting to escape the revolting room and the creepy man's presence. He refused to give his whole name, knowing how much trouble that could get him into.

"I ask the questions. How long have you known Naraku, boy?" the gangly male asked again, stepping closer. He seemed more paranoid and jumpy than before. His repeated use of the word _boy_ to address him was beginning to irritate Inuyasha.

Shrugging it off, he looked suspiciously at the man, knowing to never reveal too much about said man. "Awhile…"

Before Inuyasha could finish his sentence, the man began shaking, "Tell me! Tell me now!" he yelled at the teen. It caused Inuyasha to jump and immediately go on the defense.

"I've known him for years," Inuyasha said, reaching into his pocket and realizing he didn't have his usual switchblade on him. He mentally cursed and slowly began inching his way towards the door.

It had just occurred to him that this man had to have been a meth or crack addict, his supply was in the duffle bag, and he was now either experiencing the side effects of a new high, Naraku had swindled him (it wouldn't be the first time the gang leader had cheated someone in a deal), or he thought Inuyasha was an undercover rat.

The man didn't respond, but instead disappeared back into one of the bedrooms, and Inuyasha took that as his chance to escape. He ran from the room and down the hall.

The teen stopped halfway, realizing his exit was still blocked. The men were shady-looking, and their hands were in their pockets with smirks on their faces, which was never a good sign.

Inuyasha cautiously walked towards them, not wanting to turn back and go into the apartment. He was trapped, and he knew either way something was about to happen.

—_xxxxx_—

The next day, Naraku was pacing around at one of the hideouts of his gang. "Where the fuck is he?" he yelled, speaking of Inuyasha.

The members sitting on some of the couches inside the worn-out building shrugged. "I haven't seen him since he was here last night. Bankotsu said he saw him making a delivery, though," one of the younger thugs said.

Naraku's cold gaze turned on him, and he quickly walked over. "And did he see him leave?" he asked urgently.

The young male shook his head quickly. "He didn't stick around—at least, not that I know of. I don't know!"

Naraku grew angrier and struck the young teen across the head. "If you don't know all the details, keep your fucking mouth shut! You got that? We don't need any false leads!" he yelled, sending chills down the backs of his surrounding lackeys. The boy nodded, quickly holding his jaw.

Naraku looked off in thought. "The idiot… He probably stuck around. He's supposed to drop off the bags and leave right away. He knows this," he spoke to no one in particular. The gang leader turned to a few men and told them the address to go to and to search for the missing teen.

The men nodded and left to follow the orders given.

As they pulled up to the residence, they spotted Naraku's car parked on the side of the street, but no sign of their missing gang member. "Well, this is a good sign," one of them muttered sarcastically.

They exited the car and walked into the building. They didn't have to go far as they spotted Inuyasha crumpled in the corner of the complex, not moving, his face bloodied.

"Shit… Naraku isn't going to be happy about this. At least he still has a pulse," one of them mumbled as the other two picked up the teen's limp, unconscious body and carried him outside to the car. They searched his pockets and were surprised to find the keys to Naraku's vehicle still present.

Splitting up into two groups, they took the still unmoving teen back to the hideaway.

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><p>Alright that does it for chapter two. I hope you all enjoyed it, let me know ^_^ I wont know what I'm doing right or what I'm doing wrong if there are no reviews lol. The next chapter will be up within a few days to a week. ;)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

_**Well I want to thank all of you who gave a review of the last two chapters and I hope you all continue to review! I like knowing your opinions. So here is chapter three of Renegade. Hope you guys will enjoy! ^_^**_

_**Disclaimer: I'm not Rumiko… DDDDX**_

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 3~<strong>_

The faintest sound of screeching tires was heard. It stirred Inuyasha out of his sleep, but he couldn't bear open his eyes. Nearly every part of him ached in pain as he attempted to move and stretch his limbs. That was when he began to remember the previous night…

_He cautiously walked towards the three men that blocked his way, but still at a steady pace. He had to get out of the hallway before that man noticed he was gone. He lightly brushed past the men and began descending the steps, figuring his paranoia had been for nothing._

_As soon as he was able to breathe a soft sigh of relief, he heard steps behind him, and his back was slammed against the wall. "Hey, what are you doin' in our neighborhood?" one of the men asked, his face shadowed by the dark stairwell. _

"_Maybe he doesn't know that when you come here there's an exit fee," another said._

"_He doesn't have any manners is his problem!" came another voice. One that sounded just like the man whom had grumbled an insult towards the teen when he had first brushed against him in the hall._

_The first man moved ahead and placed a hand on teen's shoulder, attempting to turn him around to face the group._

_Inuyasha tried to push the man away, knowing that no matter what he said, the result wouldn't turn out good. As he caught the man off balance, he quickly punched him and tried to leave, only to be subdued by the other two males. _

_The teen was easily overpowered and could do nothing as the man he had knocked down began to take multiple strikes at his torso and his face._

_They kept him against the wall where there was no escape. No longer feeling the need to hold him in place, the men released his arms and joined their friend in the beating._

_Each punch nearly knocked the wind out of his chest. At one point, Inuyasha thought they had broken his ribs or at least fractured them. He knew for a fact that his nose had been broken with one of the punches, and blood was beginning to gather in his mouth from the repeated blows to his jaw, causing him to bite down on his tongue._

_He could hardly breathe. From the blood pouring from his nostrils to a jaw full of blood, he felt as if he was going to choke._

_He spat a mouthful of blood at one of the assailants, his vision becoming blocked by his swollen eye. He hadn't thought to run right after spitting. The teen immediately regretted it as he was thrown down the steps by the men._

_He laid at the bottom of the stairs, surprised he was still conscious, but feigned to be knocked out cold or even dead. It seemed to work as the three men walked down the steps towards him, searching his pockets for money and only finding thirty dollars._

"_He's got car keys," one said._

"_Fuck the car_—_it's probably a piece of crap. He walked in with a duffle bag; he's gotta have money or drugs!"_

_They searched and searched and could find no more than the thirty dollars._

_Irritated by the lack of money and drugs, the thugs preceded to kick him in his stomach, and one of them kicked him once more across his head before they left him there to die._

_The kick to his skull succeeded in bringing him to a true unconscious state. His vision and hearing faded, leaving him with the dark echo of their laughter as they walked away before everything went black._

Inuyasha sighed at his stupidity from the night before. However, he managed to get back to his apartment—he was thankful. He mustered up enough of his strength and forced himself to open his eyes as much as he could, only to find he could only open one of them.

He brought his hands up and ran them through his hair. His sides ached, his arms were sore, and his neck felt no better. Inuyasha was able to gather enough energy to get out of the bed and glanced around the room, noticing it was morning. He stumbled out of his room and into the living room to see Naraku sitting on the couch.

Inuyasha looked down in shame, realizing that the older male had brought him back. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize. Apologizing is for pussies. You're fine. And no need to worry about the guys who did this to you; I work fast. Let's just say they got the message and will not be around to have to receive any more messages from me. Same with the client you delivered to," the older man said in a low, irritated tone.

Inuyasha didn't say anything back and only nodded his head. The sunlight in the living room hurt his good eye, and he walked into his small kitchen, looking at the tattered cabinets and down at the stove underneath them.

He didn't know if he was hungry or just searching for something to do—all he knew was that he felt suddenly uncomfortable with Naraku's presence. "What is today?" he asked quietly, still not wanting or able to look at the man who had remained where he was.

"It's Sunday. You were out for an entire day," he responded in a cold voice.

Inuyasha didn't know if the man in his living room was angered at him or not. It was always hard to read him since he rarely showed any emotion other than anger.

"Oh…" was all the teen was able to reply with. He opened his refrigerator, only seeing bottles of beer, some bread, a few spare bottles of water, and a box of leftover pizza he had ordered a few days ago.

He grabbed a bottle of water and let the fridge door slowly close again. As he placed the bottle to his lips, he realized how dry his throat actually was. It was nearly painful to swallow the first few gulps of the cool liquid, but he managed to do it without complaint.

He heard Naraku's footsteps come towards him. Turning his body to look at the approaching gang leader— "Yes?" he asked quietly, "Do you need me to go on another delivery later?"

Naraku only put up a hand, silencing the younger man immediately. "Next time, instead of lagging around, carry a fucking weapon, and don't let your damn guard down. I'm not going to make it a habit of cleaning up the messes you leave behind," he said in a grim and humorless voice.

Inuyasha felt a small tremor of fear move over him with the elder's words. He watched as the man turned and left his apartment. He let out an unsteady breath, finding it hard to breathe normally. He lifted his shirt and witnessed the nature of the bruising that was left on his torso. The black, blue, and purplish markings covered a large portion of his chest and stomach.

He didn't want to know what his face looked like at this point. He wondered if he would even be able to recognize his reflection.

His mind went back to Naraku. Even though the man had taken him under his wing long ago, he still instilled fear in the teen. Inuyasha shrugged it off and finished his water before heading off to his bathroom to shower. He could only hope the cool water would feel the tiniest bit refreshing to his sore body.

—_xxxxx_—

Seated on one of her comfortable, perfectly white couches, Kagome turned on the television in her living room. She flipped through the channels with a soft yawn and stopped on the news.

_The bodies of three young men were found earlier this morning floating in the Shikon River_. _A group of friends were out for a jog when they saw a strange figure floating in the water; figuring it may have been someone in need of help, they stopped to assist them. To their horror, it was the lifeless body of an unidentified man. After calling the police, the group of friends noticed the second body floating down the river._

_So far, the police have not given any comments on how long it took them to discover the third and final body, nor the names of the victims. Though the chief of police did comment that it is obviously a homicide as each of the men's throats were gruesomely slit open._

Kagome's eyes widened, listening to the reporter, realizing that the river was only a few minute's drive away from her house. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she leaned in closer, wanting to know more about the horrific crime.

_This just in: The three men who were recovered from the waters have been identified as a group of local thugs. It appears to be a sort of retaliation for some crime they may have committed. The three have been linked to various gangs, though it is unknown whether or not they themselves were associated with any._

_There are so far no suspects as to who could be behind the vicious murders. If you have any information, please call the number on the screen. Tune in later at eight for updates. Back to you, June._

Kagome bit her lower lip and turned the channel. There were hardly ever any homicides on the side of town she lived in, and it began to scare her a bit. She thought quietly to herself about why their bodies would have shown up where they did, but shook it from her mind after awhile, trying to stay rational. At least _her_ neighborhood would be safe, she figured, attempting to remain on the bright side.

The young brunette's thoughts turned to her school and how a whole bunch of rumors would more than likely be passing around growing more and more ridiculous with each retelling. She then figured it would be a good idea to maybe write an article about it in the school's newspaper. She took out her cell phone and sent out a mass text to her fellow student council and newspaper members, suggesting the idea.

Almost immediately, she received messages back praising her on the fine idea. Satisfied with her quick thinking, Kagome texted back that they could get to work on it first thing in the morning.

—_xxxxx_—

Soon enough, Monday came around, and Kagome trudged to school, much to her chagrin. At least today she was on time, and the weather was more forgiving than it had been Friday morning. As she reached school, she was greeted by her friends and other council members. Kagome could hardly comprehend how they were all such morning people when it came to being up and at school at seven for a meeting.

They all headed down towards the editorial room to get the newspaper process started. Before Kagome and the rest of the teens made it to the room, down the hall came someone who they were all surprised to see at the school early. Inuyasha.

He walked with his head down, the hood of his oversized, black sweatshirt covering most of his features. As he passed by them, a few of the students mumbled amongst themselves, already starting the rumor process. To them, it was no secret that Inuyasha was in a gang, or was at least involved in gang-like activities. That was what they assumed, at least.

The "rebel" teen must have heard one of their comments because his head snapped up, and he glared at a few of the students, who stared back at him with wide eyes.

Kagome inaudibly gasped, seeing his face. The left side of his face was covered by what looked like old bruises, his nose had some tape over it as if to keep it in place. His eyes were dark underneath, not from the bruises but from his obvious lack of sleep. His lower lip had a small gash, apparently what used to be a busted lip that had begun to heal over. The combination of the various wounds left him with a startled appearance.

He narrowed his eyes at the people he had talking. "If you're going to make your fucking comments, then why don't you grow the balls to say it to my face!" he snapped. His sudden outburst intimidated them into a collective silence. His gaze caught with Kagome's for a short second. "And what are you looking at, princess?" he nearly growled.

Said "princess" jumped a bit. "Sorry; I didn't mean to stare," she apologized quietly, not knowing why she had spoken back to him. He only rolled his eyes at her comment and kept walking.

"Jeez… What a hothead…" one of the students muttered.

Kagome turned back to them. "Guys…just because he's not 'popular' doesn't mean you have to talk bad about the man," she tried to reason.

"Oh, stop, Kagome; like you're innocent. You even said yourself, the guy is a slacker. We'll see where he is in ten years. I'd be surprised if he even makes it to graduation. He probably killed those men that were found in the river yesterday," the young man retorted.

"Shut up!" Kagome scolded. "That's how rumors get started. Sure, he's not the most school-oriented, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings. So just drop it and stop talking about him. I don't think you'd want everyone knowing your personal life or spreading rumors about you, like how you're afraid of water deeper than three feet or your irrational fear of elevators. Oops…did I just say that out loud?" Kagome snapped back without missing a beat, her eyes narrowed and her patience grown short.

Embarrassed, the teen shut his mouth as a few of his peers laughed at him from what Kagome said. He narrowed his eyes back at Kagome, and she only raised her eyebrows at him, almost as if she was daring him to say something else to her.

After quite an annoying meeting with her so-called friends, Kagome went to her English class. She took her seat and listened to her teacher as she began pairing people off for the next project on the book they were working on: _Macbeth._

"Okay… Well, it was supposed to be groups of three, but Kagome Higurashi and Inuyasha Taisho, you will be a group of two while we work on this project for the next few months. I'm sure you both can make up for not having a third." The teacher smiled.

Kagome looked over at the teen, who had placed his head in his hands, obviously not happy about his partner choice. Kagome grabbed her things and walked over to him as people began changing places and getting together with their partners. As she sat down, he turned towards her.

"I don't want an apology for earlier; that fucking irritates me. Let's just make it through this group bull crap, and then we can go our separate ways," he grumbled.

"First will be a poster project that you guys will have to work on in your spare time and not in class," the English teacher said cheerfully.

Inuyasha audibly huffed in anger. _'Of fucking course…'_ he thought privately.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. She didn't know why he was so rude to her—she had done nothing to him in the past. She bit her lower lip, always the one to try and make friends when she'd be dealing with the person more than once. "Well, as you heard, I'm Kagome Hi—"

"I know who you are, princess. No need to introduce yourself," he cynically responded, cutting her off mid-sentence. He opened his backpack that had a bunch of loose papers carelessly thrown in, some crumpled, some ripped. He pulled out a notebook and flipped it open, turning swiftly through the pages to get to some notes he had taken on the book, and he handed the spiraled notebook to Kagome begrudgingly.

"Wow…these are really good notes. They're really organized," Kagome said in slight shock.

"Oh? Are you surprised, princess? Guess I'm not as much of a deadbeat as you assumed, huh?" Inuyasha snapped at her again.

Kagome knew he was right—she had judged him based on his appearance and rumors about him. She was no better than the guy she had chewed out earlier.

"No, it's just that your backpack looks a little unorganized, so I was just surprised that you had notes…" she tried to explain, knowing that she wasn't making her defense any better.

"You're so full of it; you know that, princess?" he sardonically uttered.

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows at him, not knowing how to react to his brash comments and criticism.

"Could you stop calling me princess, please?" she asked as politely as she could. They were supposed to be partners, after all, and if they started off this rough, they'd get nowhere for sure.

"Sure thing, princess—as soon as I'm no longer called stupid, lazy, a pothead, a burden on society, worthless, deadbeat, and dumb. But especially _worthless_, since that is the one that I hate the most," he said without skipping a beat and with no emotion in his voice.

Kagome looked at him, not knowing how to respond yet again, though feeling guilty that she had called him at least two of those things in the past. "Okay" was all she managed to say.

He sighed looking off, letting her read the notes he took. He could already tell it was going to be a long "few months".

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><p><strong>Alright, well I'm not sure how well this chapter went, but I hope you all like it. Leave me a review letting me know. ^_^;;; I really hope it wasn't disappointing. The next update will probably be up next Wednesday or Thursday.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter four of Renegade! This is moving along swiftly I think…then again I did post three chapters within a week lol, anywho. I'll try and update at least once to maybe twice a week. Thank you to all of you who reviewed the past chapters! I really appreciate it and hope to see even more!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the InuYasha franchise.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 4~<strong>_

Inuyasha left his crummy apartment; it was a Saturday afternoon, and Kagome had asked him to come to her house to work on part of their project. As much as he didn't want to go, he knew he had to. He groaned and began walking down the street. Most of his bruises had cleared up in the week's time except for a small few stubborn ones, which were still slowly receding.

As he walked further into town, he looked around, paying attention to the cars that passed by and the people that passed him on the street. The further he walked, the more he stood out like a sore thumb. His large hoodie versus their name-brand jackets and long sleeved shirts. His worn out jeans compared to their clean-pressed ones.

Inuyasha sighed and decided to wait at the bus stop to avoid further stares. He glanced down at the paper he had written her address on, clicking his tongue once in irritancy.

'_Keh…Princess probably lives in a mansion,'_ he assumed to himself. He didn't have to wait long for the next bus to arrive and he got on, tossing a few coins in the slot and took a seat.

On the way, he watched as an elderly couple got onto the bus. It was crowded, and there was only one seat left available: the one next to him. Inuyasha noticed that no one bothered to relinquish their seats for the seniors and rolled his eyes. _'It appears chivalry is dead after all,' _he thought in disdain.

He stood up and stepped aside, gesturing to the now two free seats. The couple smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. Inuyasha only shrugged in response and stood the rest of the way—not that he minded. It was just a seat, and he didn't need it. He glanced around to the few small stares he received and almost wanted to laugh, but kept it to himself.

Right before the bus was going to drop him off, the teen adjusted his jacket, figuring he might as well look as best as he could for his project partner's home. Once the bus stopped and he got off, he took a deep breath. He knew he probably had to be on his best behavior in case her family of "royalty" was there to add further criticism.

Looking at the street sign, he knew he was in the right place, and he began walking in the direction she had told him her house was in.

His eyes glanced around at the neighboring houses, seeing large white, light yellow, baby blue, and beige homes with balconies peeking out from more than one room. Grass green enough for him to think it was fake. Cars so perfect they might as well have been right off the showroom floor. He began to wonder which one was hers and what it looked like…

As he approached the house, he noticed the long driveway leading up to the large, white two-story home. Its grass was greener than those on TV, just as her neighbors' had been, and an expensive-looking car rested in the driveway to boot, but at least she only had one.

He grumbled to himself unintelligibly and walked towards the house, silently wondering what her parents could possibly do for a living. He noticed the perfectly trimmed hedges and the beautiful flowers of seemingly every sort that lined a portion of the driveway and even the bottom edges of her home. Hell, even the paint on the house was perfect, as if it had just dropped out of the sky that way. He wondered, much to his chagrin, what the inside would look like.

He rang the doorbell once, listening to the chime. It was a long, smooth ring that had a soft melody to accompany it. Even _that_ sounded regal.

His eyes slightly widened as Kagome answered the door; she had actually managed to look "normal" for once. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she had on sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt.

She gestured for him to come in, and he nodded once in greeting. "Well, I'm glad you managed to make it…" she said softly with a smile, trying her best to be friendly.

Inuyasha ignored her comment, kicking his old sneakers off and looking around her house, the interior looked almost just as he had expected. Her living room was sparkling clean; the carpets and couches as white as they could have possibly been. There were small, burgundy throw pillows on each of the two sofas. The coffee table, which held a blank poster board, pens, markers, and paper, was some sort of dark wood that rested on top of a large, burgundy rug. He noticed how even the curtains in the window were silk and matched the living room's design.

Inuyasha's eyes moved to the giant plasma screen television that was placed directly in front one of the couches. He rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze to the various pictures and paintings that adorned the walls and the few plants that were in the corners of the room, seeing pictures of Kagome from her childhood as well as a few of whom he assumed to be her mother.

He walked in further with a silent Kagome behind him. From her living room, he could see clearly into her kitchen, even that was sparkling white with burgundy accents.

"Is the whole house white and burgundy?" he asked dryly.

Kagome shook her head, though he wasn't looking at her. "Just downstairs and my mom's room… Burgundy is her favorite color… Well, any dark reds and purples are, really," she replied. _'Maybe this will make conversation,'_ she thought to herself.

She was wrong.

He hummed, seemingly unimpressed, though in truth, he had never seen anything in comparison to her hours or her neighbors' other than in a few houses he had assisted in breaking in to. Inuyasha walked over to her couch and looked at her as if asking if he could sit down.

She nodded quickly and sat down beside him. "So, what did you want to work on first? The quotes we found most interesting in the first scene? The drawing we have to make of what we think this Macbeth guy looks like? Or what?" Kagome asked, hoping he would be friendlier to her than he had been the past week. She had an extreme amount of doubt that would be the case, considering how he walked into her house with a judging eye.

"Doesn't matter. Whatever gets us done the quickest…" he muttered, beginning to feel uneasy in her quiet home.

She sighed, figuring that her hopes that they'd get along were futile. _'He probably just wants to leave,'_ she quietly figured to herself.

She picked up a pencil. "Maybe we should start with the drawing then… I'm not that much of an artist, though; he'll turn out looking like a stick figure," she tried to joke. After receiving no reaction from him, the teen girl cleared her throat. "So, did you want to draw while I wrote down some quotes?" she asked quietly, wishing that the tension in the air would ease up soon before she went absolutely crazy.

Inuyasha only grabbed the pencil from her hand and switched places with the "princess".

Kagome bit her lower lip and pulled out a pen from her sweatpants' pockets to begin jotting down the quotes. They stayed in silence for nearly half an hour when Kagome stopped writing. "Uhm, do you want anything to drink or to eat, Inuyasha?"

He only shook his head and kept drawing. She peeked over at his sketch and quietly gasped, "Wow…that's really good. I didn't know you were an artist." Kagome admired the way he drew the character Macbeth; it was almost as if he was drawing a portrait of someone in the room. The eyes looked realistic, a slight shimmer in them—the hair looked as if it flowed naturally, even taking care to add light patches which she took to be gray patches. He was even so precise as to add small details like crow's feet and worry lines.

"Surprised?" he said in a mocking tone, not bothering to look at her as he kept drawing.

"Why do you do that?" she inquired, finally having enough of his attitude.

"Do what? Treat you the same way you and all your preppy friends treat me?" he muttered, shading in more detail to Macbeth's eyes.

"I've never treated you badly," she defended, crossing her arms in irritation. "I've done nothing but try and make friends with you and—"

"And use a pity tone when speaking to me or a sympathetic one. I don't need pity or sympathy out of you, okay? So instead of acting all high and mighty, Kagome, get off your high horse and speak to me how you would want to be spoken to," he sternly said, still not bothering to look at the young woman next to him.

She was caught off-guard. There was something else he was right about: she did change her demeanor when talking to him, almost as if she pitied him. She began to wonder if somewhere deep down, she did pity him. "Okay, fair enough… Wait, hey, you used my name," she pointed out, feeling a bit happy.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Sorry, princess; I didn't mean to insult your highness," he grumbled bitterly.

Kagome sighed, feeling the happiness deflate, and stood up heading into her kitchen. She looked around for something that she thought he might enjoy, but settled with orange juice. She brought the two glasses back to the living room and set one down next to him.

He eyed the glass and narrowed his eyes a bit. "Thanks, I guess." He continued to draw, adding in the details, more or less to just keep himself busy. Inuyasha set down the pencil once he was done and noticed Kagome had just finished her portion as well.

He hesitantly picked up the glass and took a sip of the juice. He then noticed her smile at him, and he furrowed his eyebrows, "What? Is it poisoned or something?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Kagome's smile faded away. "No, it was a smile of relief that we're getting along, I guess… Not so much now. Forget it. Anyway, we're done with this part. And it only took about an hour and ten minutes according to the clock," she said optimistically as she glanced at her cell phone.

After sitting in silence for a few short minutes as Inuyasha looked over the quotes she wrote down, she finally asked, "You know, if you're so smart, why do you act the way you do in school? It's like you don't care."

Inuyasha's eyes moved to her face. "What does it matter to you, princess?" he wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"I was just curious… I mean, there has to be a reason. You're obviously smart, but you don't show it," she quietly said, pretty sure she was only going to piss him off further.

"Unlike you, I don't like to go around bragging about crap I'm supposedly good at. If I happen to be smart at something, then so be it. But I refuse to spread it around…" he muttered, trailing off as he began thinking about the ridicule he'd get from his fellow gang members if they were to find out he actual managed decent grades in school and didn't just go because he technically had to.

Inuyasha stood up and stretched. "If you're done with your questions, I'm going to go. I have somewhere to be, anyway."

Kagome shrugged a bit and grabbed the glass he left on the table. "I'll see you Monday. I think we're going to have to present the poster."

"Wonderful," he murmured, slipping his shoes back on and leaving out the front door without so much as another word.

—_xxxxx_—

Once he was back on his side of town, he saw his neighborhood in a different way.

The apartments looked like shit on the outside to him—nothing compared to the fancy, regal, and debonair look to the houses that he had seen. The air on his side of town even seemed more polluted.

How could the city look so different on different ends?

Inuyasha walked into Naraku's apartment and saw the older male leaned over his small coffee table, and as he came up, he saw Naraku wipe his nose once and inhale deeply. Inuyasha looked away, not caring to see more, his gaze turning to the other people in the apartment. It was hardly six, and everyone was already beginning to get drunk and high.

He walked over to Naraku and stood in front of him. "Do you have any jobs for me?" he asked, hoping that the answer was no.

The gang leader looked up at Inuyasha and shook his head. "You won't be doing anything for a little while longer; go enjoy yourself. There's plenty of whores here to go around," he said dismissively, waving Inuyasha off.

The teen shook his head. "No, thanks…I'm fine." He looked at the table and saw what was obviously cocaine. _'Great…he's getting high,'_ the teen thought, though he wasn't surprised.

"You're such a little bitch, Inuyasha; you know that? I don't know who I raised. You don't do drugs, you hardly ever drink, you don't even take the opportunities I give you to get laid. What the fuck is wrong with you?" the elder asked.

Inuyasha inwardly flinched at the insults. "I drink. And I have done drugs…I'd just rather not. I'd rather just sell that stuff and make a quick buck…" he said, trying to defend himself. He always lost his voice when speaking to the older male, and he tried to not let his attitude come out. If there was one person he feared, it was Naraku.

The older male stood up and moved in close to Inuyasha. "Are you getting smart with me? You better not be," he said through gritted teeth.

"No, Naraku, I'm not, I just— You took it the wrong way. You're high; just calm down," he pleaded, immediately regretting his choice of words. He braced himself for what he knew was coming.

Soon enough, he felt a hard blow to his cheek as Naraku punched him. He felt the pang shoot along his jaw, down his throat, and throughout his body, ricocheting back into his skull. The hit nearly knocked him down, but he steadied himself, unable to concentrate for a moment, feeling as though his brain was scrambled.

"You better be careful, Inuyasha. Just because I've raised your sorry ass doesn't mean you aren't subject to the same treatment as the rest of these pathetic fucks if you decide to lose your tongue with me, got it?" he yelled, a vein bulging in his neck from his rising temper.

Inuyasha recoiled from the shout and held his throbbing face, nodding. "Sorry, Naraku… It won't happen again. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"You shouldn't have said anything at all!" he snapped, fire burning alive in his eyes.

Inuyasha stayed quiet, trying to detach his mind from what was happening. He knew that if he were to walk away, it'd make things worse, and if he were to say _anything_ back, it'd make things worse. All he could do was attempt to separate himself from the drama in front of him.

It was something he had learned to do early on in his childhood. If something got too bothersome, he would detach from it for fear his emotions would overwhelm him.

In the midst of his ranting and yelling, Naraku was interrupted, becoming distracted by one of his prostitutes that had begun tugging on his shirt before leading him back to a bedroom.

Inuyasha watched as the two walked away and looked around at the room of people who were staring at him. He did his best to shrug off their looks as well as he could and grabbed a packet of cigarettes off the table before leaving. The teen didn't want to face any more ridicule than he had already been subject to.

Back at his own apartment, Inuyasha laid back on his bed, his forearm draped lightly on his forehead. He sighed heavily, hoping to distance himself. If only he could escape…

He closed his eyes, tired, embarrassed, and still in pain from the assault to his cheek. His mind slowly wandered back to how he had ended up in the situation that he was in to begin with.

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><p><strong>There is chapter 4...I'm sorry if it was boring DX I hope that this story still captures people's interests. Leave a review to let me know what you think!<strong>

**The next chapter might not be up until the weekend or Monday. Keep an eye out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm glad that people seem to be enjoying this story, so I hope it stays that way! ^_^ Anywho here is chapter five. Remember to let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha, the characters, or any portion to the rights of the franchise.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 5~<strong>_

—_**Eight Years Earlier**_—

It was a dark, hot, June evening. Several car alarms were going off in the neighborhood, disturbing the quiet that had been there shortly before. The sound of dogs' barking quickly accompanied the sirens in the unsettled air.

Inuyasha laid back in his sheets, staring at his ceiling, unable to fall asleep. It wasn't the alarms that kept him from his slumber, but the heat. But there was no way he could turn on the run-down air conditioning.

Just as he was forcing his eyes shut, the sound of gunshots were heard not far from his home.

Instinctively, he got onto his bedroom floor and lied down, covering his head.

Beads of a terrified sweat made their place on his forehead, his body shaking. The bullets sounded far away, but he couldn't be too sure. He had always been warned about stray bullets and how they could travel miles and come through bedroom windows just like his.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he soon heard the usual, recurring sound of police sirens following the gun shots. He drew his knees tightly to his chest, forming himself into a ball on his floor, clenching his eyes shut.

The voice of his father traveled through his mind. "We'll be out of here soon. We'll live in a better place, a place where you don't have to fall asleep to the sound of fighting, guns, and break-ins."

He sighed to himself, hearing the police sirens fade into the distance, and he opened his eyes, looking around his dark room. The preteen got up and brushed himself off before getting back in his bed, hoping that now he would be able to sleep.

Though, instead of laying down, he only sat there, wanting sleep but fearing it all the same. He could hardly ever fall asleep until his father came home. The young boy moved some of his unruly hair out of his eyes and looked around, hearing nothing but soft footsteps of neighbors downstairs.

He was alone in the void, dark apartment of his.

He had yet again lost track of time and jumped when he heard a knock at his door shortly after coming out of his trance.

He warily walked out of his small bedroom and went to the front door, listening for any sound of a familiar voice. He grabbed one of the two chairs from the dining area right outside of the kitchenette and stood on it to look out the peephole. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw nothing but blue and a quick flash of gold.

"Open up, this is police!" came from the other side of the door.

Inuyasha quickly got down off the chair he was standing on; to say he was scared would have been an understatement. After all, he was only eleven, and his young irrational mind began to make him think that he himself was in trouble. He unlocked his front door and looked at the tall men who stood in front of him.

"Young man, is your mother home?" they asked him, glancing into the apartment.

"My mom isn't here… She—she died," he mumbled, just loud enough for them to hear, confused as to what was happening.

"Aw, crap…" one of the men said, his tone changing greatly. "Is anyone here with you, young man?" he questioned again, crouching down to Inuyasha's level.

Inuyasha only shook his head, felt the older man's hand on his shoulder and watched him sigh heavily. "Okay, you have to listen to me… There was an accident at the store where your father works. He got hurt, okay?"

The eleven year old pulled away from the cop; he was confused and young, but he wasn't stupid. He knew well enough how the police talked to kids. "You're lying to me… What happened?" he demanded.

His father worked in a small convenience store a couple of streets away and, from time to time, had to work nights. Inuyasha hated having his father away from him—he was all he had in life. The young boy tried to follow his parent on numerous occasions to the convenience store, but would always be ordered to go back. He knew his father was trying to hint at it being dangerous at night.

The cop's expression drooped on his face, and Inuyasha understood what he was trying to tell him. The young boy felt warm tears sting his eyes and begin to travel down his cheeks. He shook his head, now in denial about what he knew was true. This couldn't be. His father could never leave him. He would never leave his only son alone in the world.

The tears began to fall faster. His body began shaking with his sobs. He couldn't breathe as the lump in his throat grew bigger and bigger with each tear that fell.

The policeman walked forward, and though he didn't know the boy, he gently hugged him, trying to show compassion.

"I want my dad…" Inuyasha cried softly, but didn't hug back. He couldn't focus. His mind was racing like it had never raced before. The other policeman who was there began talking on his radio. "I want my dad!" they heard him again, only this time it was a demand and not a plea.

"We can't take you there; I'm sorry," the man said, trying to reason with the now orphaned boy in front of him.

Inuyasha pushed away from him and quickly ran out of the apartment before the police officers could react. "No" wasn't going to be an answer he would take.

The younger male had the upper hand—he knew certain shortcuts to the downstairs, such as the old laundry chute none of the tenants used.

He quickly opened the metal box and fit himself inside before the officers were able to catch him.

His slender body easily slid down the chute, and he landed on the hard, concrete ground below, not caring about his lack of shoes. He swiftly wiped his eyes to clear his vision and glanced around for the door. He opened it and ran out of the front lobby of the apartment complex.

He had to see his dad for himself. He knew those cops weren't going to let him, and he'd be damned if they were going to take this away from him. To take his father away from him. His denial began to grow in his head; he had to see his dad with his own eyes. That would tell him what he needed to know.

His dad was perfect, strong, tall, witty, _his_ dad. He wouldn't leave Inuyasha behind. Not like that. Not now.

For an eleven year old, he was fast. He looked back behind him as he ran and saw the front lobby door swing open. He knew it was the cops following him.

He skillfully ducked into a nearby alleyway, not minding stepping onto gravel and any trash that blew by. It wasn't the first time he had to run. Though he was a good kid, his friends weren't, and they'd get into trouble, causing him to have to run from the police as well.

Inuyasha was able to catch his breath as the police car drove by. Once he was sure they were gone, he ducked out again, making sure to stick in the shadows. His friends were hoodlums, but they at least taught him a few tricks to keep up his sleeves.

He continued to run, receiving scrapes to the bottoms of his feet from the rough sidewalk. As he closed in on the store, a pain stabbed through his chest and nearly knocked the wind from him. He saw an ambulance and a crowd of police cars along with people standing on the outskirts, trying to get a good look at the scene.

As he ventured closer, he saw what he had been warned of—a covered body on a gurney was being wheeled out of the building. Flashing lights of red and blue bounced off of the building and the sheet. It all seemed unreal, as if it was right out of a movie he had just been watching.

Inuyasha felt himself break down on the inside, mentally and emotionally. He ran past the unsuspecting police, not caring if they grabbed him after he saw his father.

"Hey, stop that kid!"

"There he is!"

"Grab him!"

He heard various voices behind him, but they were small and insignificant, hardly whispers in his ears.

He was able to reach the sheet; he pulled it back. The crowd of people gasped, as well as the paramedics from his actions.

There was the sight he'd never forget: his father's face. A trail of dark red blood was coming from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were shut, his expression was solemn and not peaceful. He recalled being told that when you die, your face looks as if you're in peace. That was a lie in his mind now, a damned lie.

He felt himself get grabbed from behind and pulled away from his father's body. He didn't care anymore and he let the tears fall freely, letting out screams of pain. He didn't feel as though he was even alive. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true…but it was. The denial no longer able to trick his mind away from what he had seen with his own eyes.

He felt as if he couldn't breathe again from a mix of his emotions trapped in his throat and his shouts of anger, hurt, and agony. His heart was pounding, but he couldn't feel it. His face was bright red from his crying, but he couldn't stop. He didn't care to stop. He thought he'd never stop.

The police who had hugged him before was hugging him again. Inuyasha couldn't control himself—he had just lost the last person he had in the world. "Get off of me!"

He tried to punch and push the cop away, but this time the cop made sure Inuyasha stayed where he was. "Calm down, son. Calm down."

"Don't call me that! I hate you! I hate all of you! You let him die! You let someone take my dad…" he yelled, soon trailing off, his voice growing hoarse. He felt himself begin to shut down; he stopped punching the cop and let out shaky breaths. His eyes lost their emotion, seeming to stare off at nothing for miles and miles though hot tears still streamed down his face.

The police officer didn't say anything back; his years of experience told him that there was nothing he could say to reason with the young boy. "You're going to be okay. A social worker is on her way over to take care of you. Listen to me, young man: do you have _any_ relatives you could stay with?" he asked, trying to get Inuyasha to talk. "It'll make it easier for us if you let us know."

The young boy didn't respond. Easier for them? How dare the cop say that. He had just lost his father, and the man had actually said "easier for them." His vision became blurred more with his tears, both shed and unshed, causing him to barely make out the silent red and blue lights that bounced off of the quiet crowd.

He heard the ambulance drive away, and it only served to make him crumble more. To feel as though he were literally ready to fall apart that very moment.

His father was gone. He was now _truly _alone.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Over the next few years, he was bounced around from foster home to foster home, getting into fights with his foster siblings. No family ever really caring about him and only about the money the government paid them for keeping him.

Ever since the years prior, he didn't care about anything—not school, not his grades, his life, nor the people around him. He had even been held back once in the seventh grade because of his grades and his attitude. He didn't care. None of it mattered. If the world didn't care about him, why should he care about the world?

He was thirteen and had begun to fall into the wrong crowd. He began drinking and smoking mostly cigarettes and, on occasion, weed. Though pot was something he didn't like, that didn't stop him from selling the substance.

It didn't take long until he ran into the person who would soon come to change him even more: Naraku.

The older man had brought Inuyasha in, showing him the "wonders" of living life the way you wanted to. He taught him how to steal without being caught, how to hotwire a car, how to handle a gun and handle a knife. He had taught the young teenager how to swindle, how to cheat, even how to extort the proper ways. The teen was also "schooled" in many other lessons, such as witnessing the proper way to execute someone.

Soon, the only person Inuyasha felt as though he could trust was Naraku. He was given new clothes by the man, a place to stay when he ran away from his foster home, and someone to confide in. Someone to look after him and care for him.

At the age of sixteen, Inuyasha had gone to the courthouse and filed to be emancipated from his current foster parents who, although didn't show it to the court, were more than happy to be rid of the teen. They had even told him they'd rather have him being a burden on society than a burden on them any longer.

They proved that he had a "job", was able to support himself on his own, and even had a place to stay.

Without much thought put into it, the court granted him his emancipation plea. _'What an effective court system…'_ he thought to himself. He figured they didn't care much for the delinquents, and their mind set would be "the sooner he's out on his own and dies the better."

—_**Back To Present Time**_—

Inuyasha touched his cheek and felt what he knew were a few tears—something he hated seeing from himself. He sighed angrily, wiping his face. He hardly ever cried anymore, and he didn't want to start up again now. It was only the memory of his father's passing that brought on what he now thought of being as a sign of weakness.

The nineteen-year-old let out a huff again and reached into his pocket to pull out a cigarette, light it up, and take a long drag.

He closed his eyes again, trying to detach himself from the world, but stopped when his mind began to replay that night eight years ago over again.

Taking another long drag, he hoped, in that moment, that the cigarette in his hand would be the one to give him cancer. If it did, he wouldn't have to face the world or the memories he tried so hard to lock away any longer.

—_**Two days later**_—

It was the last period of the school day, and Inuyasha was sitting back in his chair, Kagome sitting next to him, talking about something he didn't care much about to pay attention to. "Hello? Are you listening to me?" she asked, obviously irritated by his lack of consideration.

"Hm? Oh, no; no, I'm not listening to you," he responded in a matter-of-fact way.

"You're such a smartass," Kagome retorted, crossing her arms and focusing back on the front of the class. "You know we're supposed to be having a discussion about Macbeth!" she finally said after a few short seconds.

"Yeah, we were…until you started rambling on about something from your own personal experience. That's when I lost interest," he retorted back tiredly with a yawn.

"…We're supposed to be able to relate!" she yelled back in a hushed tone, narrowing her eyes. She was growing tired of his constant attitude towards her. "Seriously, what is your problem?" she questioned, turning back towards him.

"Uhm…the fact that you can't stop talking for more than a minute?" he said in a mocking tone with an unamused look plastered onto his face.

Kagome's jaw dropped. "I can be! But we're supposed to be having a discussion," she said, gesturing to their classmates who were _discussing_ the book.

Inuyasha stretched some and looked at her, apparently not caring. "Just do it. Don't talk for a full minute," he dared, completely ignoring her gestures.

"Fine, I will. Starting now," she said, closing her mouth and staring at him, full of confidence…and irritation.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her and got a light smirk, knowing she wouldn't be able to do it.

"What's that look for?" she asked.

"Seeeeee?" he said, drawing out his word. Kagome huffed and tried again. She could stay quiet for a minute, dammit!

Kagome glanced over at the clock intensely, withholding her want to comment back on Inuyasha's incredulous look. The older male only shook his head, looking at the clock with her. "Five…four…three…two…one… Okay, you can talk, princess," he said, giving her a false applause.

"Seeeeee?" she repeated, mocking him from a minute earlier. "I can be quiet just as easily as you can."

"I doubt that… You put some effort in shutting up," he said nonchalantly back, still sounding unimpressed. "Hell, five minutes and you'd probably explode."

"That is not true! You know what, I'll show you," she said, re-crossing her arms and looking at the clock… Wait a minute… They only had five minutes left in class! "Hey, you're just trying to get me to be quiet for the rest of the class!" she huffed in realization.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Like, you totally figured it out! You are so smart," he mocked her again, using a stereotypical prep voice. He rolled his eyes and began packing up his things.

Unable to respond, she only looked back in disbelief. She did _not _sound like that! She quickly began trying to think of a comeback. "Well…you do that voice a little _too_ well."

"Is that the best you got, princess?" he smirked back followed by a _tsk tsk_.

He quickly got up as the bell rang, leaving her behind without so much as a wave goodbye.

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><p><strong>Annnnd that's it for chapter five! I hope the ending wasn't bleh. I tried to lighten it up a bit! DX I don't know if it worked lol. Anywho, I hope you all review to let me know what you think about this chapter.<strong>

**The next one will be up within a week. ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright there are two chapters put up because they are both pretty short and late, so I didn't want you guys to feel cheated. I'm sorry, but I promise the other chapters will be longer than six and seven. DX**

**Also as an added bonus I'll be posting chapter eight tomorrow! I promise! It's just been busy. X( And HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE READING THIS! Hope it's a good one!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. That belongs to its respective owners.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 6~<strong>_

The next morning, Kagome was upstairs in her bathroom, brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She adjusted her blouse and looked over her appearance; her hair looked plain to her, her eyes dull and tired.

She sighed softly. Today was just _not_ a day she wanted to be at school. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather what little energy she had. Maybe if she believed hard enough, it'd magically be the weekend, right?

Right?

RIGHT?

Dammit…

With a frustrated groan, she dragged herself out of the bathroom, not bothering to put on any eyeliner or mascara, no matter how drab her eyes looked. She grabbed her messenger bag and slipped on a pair of flats. She cast her dark, hazel eyes over towards her alarm clock and watched as the minute changed.

_7:15AM_

She still had forty-five minutes to get to school. Why didn't she sleep in an extra ten minutes? Then again, if she had, karma would rain down upon her, and she'd be late.

The brunette let out another heavy huff of breath and left her room, slowly heading downstairs, knowing as soon as she stepped foot outside of her home, the day would officially begin. She looked around for her mother as she reached the bottom step and didn't see any sign of her. _'She must have left for work already,' _Kagome thought quietly to herself.

As she finished that thought, she walked out of her house, locked the door behind her, and journeyed to the bus stop. She leaned against the pole, waiting for the bus to arrive and idly playing on her cell phone. Tapping away, trying to beat her own high score in Tetris®.

_Beep!_

Kagome snapped back to reality when her phone sounded off. The message "Low Battery" appeared on the screen. She covered her face in her hands. How could she have been so stupid as to not charge her phone? Her eyes widened as she then realized it was going to be one of THOSE days once again.

—_**xxxxx**_—

So far, she had been wrong—it wasn't necessarily one of THOSE days. Well…other than a surprise test in BOTH her History and Calculus classes. Oh, and not to mention that the weatherman had lied to her once again about it being nice weather as she dressed in a light blouse, jeans, and flats and not in a jacket like she should have.

The young brunette should have known better than to trust a man who points at a green screen for a living. And _of course_, in truth, the fact that it was the middle of the fall season should have tipped her off to dress warmer…but no—it's all the weatherman's fault. It was _his_ fault she was now shivering outdoors at the lunch table since her school _of course_ just had to be remodeling the auditorium during the autumn.

Poking at her food, she was mostly spaced out to what her friends were discussing since it was the usual topic of boys, grades, and what they'd be getting for graduation and their birthdays. Those were topics Kagome was interested in, but everyday of that got a tad on the tedious side.

Though the teen was distant in thought, she noticed when her friends' voices grew hushed.

Her eyes looked up from her lunch tray curiously to investigate why the usually noisy bunch were suddenly quiet. That's when she spotted Inuyasha coming their way.

"Is he coming over towards us?"

"He better not be…"

"Do we even _know_ him?"

Kagome heard multiple other comments pass between her friends under their breathes as Inuyasha approached. She caught his gaze and watched as he coldly looked in another direction.

Kagome looked back at her friends, an angry expression on her face. She had to admit the guy had some weird bipolar thing going on where he was mean to her one moment and teasing her the next, but he was still human. "What is it, Kags?" one of the guys at the table asked, noticing her expression.

"You guys are really rude… Cut the man a break," she quickly replied in the mocked teen's defense.

"What's gotten into you, Kagome? We've made our comments about people before, and you haven't gotten all uptight about it," Ayumi's boyfriend responded immediately.

"That's not true; I have gotten 'uptight' about it. I'm not denying that I've made comments, but I've never said anything overly mean like you guys do. You don't give people a chance," Kagome retorted sternly. She glanced over to where Inuyasha might have gone and noticed he was sitting off to the side at a table alone, scribbling in his notebook.

"Oh, please, Kagome. Same difference. You are no better," another student responded.

Eri looked at Kagome and raised an eyebrow. "He's just your English partner. Calm down, Kagome; we'll stop." She looked at the other students around the table, giving them a look to back off for now.

"No, you guys won't stop, and he's not just my English partner—he's a regular teenager just like us in the senior class. And he's not the only one you all make fun of! It's one thing to voice your opinion about someone, but to make fun of them just because they don't fit _your_ standards? It's fucked-up, and I'm not going to sit here and continue listening to it. So, if you're going to make fun of him, you better make fun of me, too!" Kagome angrily shot back with one large huff of breath.

To her peers at the table, she looked as if she was ready to have a conniption. A few had dropped jaws, staring at her in disbelief from her outburst.

"No, Kagome, listen…" Yuka pleaded.

Kagome didn't want to stay for anymore of their excuses. She quickly stood, grabbed her tray, and walked off from her friends, who were still in a stunned silence at Kagome's rant. She hurried over to go and sit by the outcast teen.

Inuyasha looked up as Kagome approached him, and he turned the page of his notebook, seemingly scribbling some more. "What are you doing, princess?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes a bit at the nickname he had ever-so-graciously bestowed upon her, but let it go. "I came to sit by you, if you'll let me," she cheerfully replied.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "And why would your majesty ever do something so kind?" the teen asked in a bitter and sarcastically humble manner.

"Because I got tired of who I was sitting by," Kagome said in frustration, though not towards Inuyasha, but from remembering the comments her friends had been making and were probably making in that very instance about the two of them. "You're not sitting by your friends, though… Why?" the brunette asked curiously.

Inuyasha brushed some of his hair behind his ear, beginning on a new sketch. "In case you haven't noticed, princess, no one here is really who you'd call my friends…" he quietly responded. His hand continued its work with the pencil, shading, shaping, and sculpting the various figures he made, bringing the simple doodles to life off the page.

She couldn't tell if he was saddened by saying that or not and looked down at the notebook, still in awe over his artistic talents. Kagome furrowed her brows and glanced back up at him, nothing but seriousness in her eyes. "Well…I consider myself your friend, even though you're kinda mean to me sometimes."

"Well, aren't you going all noble, calling a loser like me your friend. I think you just lost your popularity by even sitting next to me. Look around, princess; more than a few people are staring, in case you haven't noticed," Inuyasha muttered, only glancing up every so often from his small but complicated doodlings.

"Well, I obviously don't care, in case you haven't noticed. What? You don't think I'm your friend?" she asked, crossing her arms, feeling another strong cool breeze brush over her skin, giving her goose-bumps.

"Just because we happen to be partnered up in English, it doesn't make us friends." Inuyasha's gaze wandered over to her, seeing her shivering. "Jeez, you'd think you'd be smart enough to bring yourself a jacket. You're going to freeze out here," he said, almost sounding as if he was upset that she didn't bring something to cover her torso.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I didn't think about it, okay? The weatherman lied… I'll be fine; I'm not that cold," she said, more so trying to fool herself than him.

"Riiiight…I guess that's why your nipples are hard?" he matter-of-factly stated. Why. The hell. Did he just say that? He sighed, figuring she wouldn't get what he meant and would slap him.

Kagome's eyes grew wide, and she hit his arm, not causing much of an effect and instead deciding to cover her chest rather than continue an assault. "What the hell? Why are you looking at my chest?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes this time and removed his sweatshirt. "You're really conceited, you know that? I noticed when you were walking over. It's kinda hard to miss. Plus, those two guys over there haven't taken their eyes off your chest," he coldly remarked.

Hey eyes widened, and her mouth dropped, a bit creeped that some random guys were possibly staring at her.

The teen handed his large sweatshirt to her. "There… It's not fashionable, but it'll keep you from growing icicles on your body."

Kagome took the sweatshirt, glancing over and seeing the alleged peepers before looking back at him and tilted her head a bit. "You do consider me a friend, huh? If you didn't, why would you give me your sweatshirt?" Her lips curled up into a hopeful smile.

Inuyasha looked at her dully. "Do you always question when someone does something nice for you?"

Her smile faltered, and she stared back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you?"

He sighed and turned away from her again, focusing back on the notebook in front of him. Kagome threw the oversized sweatshirt on herself. It was warm from his own body heat, and it quickly took away her chill. "Thanks," she said, receiving a nod back.

She noticed that he had a long-sleeved, black t-shirt on. "You came prepared…" she mumbled, not getting a response back.

She sighed quietly and began eating the slice of pizza that was on her plate. "Yeah…" she heard come from him. Her brown orbs looked at him, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what?" she asked, not understanding why he had spoken all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I consider you a friend," he bluntly bit back as a response, not bothering to look at her.

"Hah, I knew it!" she said, feeling a swell in ego at her having been right and also relief to know that he didn't hate her for no apparent reason. She clapped her hands, an eager grin crossing her lips.

Inuyasha looked at her, no expression in his eyes. "Well, it's not like I have any other options."

Kagome stopped her inner cheers and looked back at him with narrowed eyes. She knew he was kidding, but he was still a jerk.

"You just have to burst my bubble, don't you?" she asked, her arms crossed as she stared directly at him.

Inuyasha shrugged, a very subtle smirk on his lips. "I have to have something to do while talking to you."

Kagome sighed, but smiled slightly and thought to herself, _'At least we're getting along…sort of.'_

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><p><strong>That does it for chapter six! I hope it wasn't a snooze-fest. XD;;; I didn't want this to be down-poured in angst so yeah…Leave me a review to let me know what you think! ^_^<strong>

**Chapter seven will be up with this chapter so check it out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, like I said since chapter 6 is REALLY short, I uploaded two chapters. ^_^ I hope you all enjoy this. Let me know what you think in a review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 7~<strong>_

Inuyasha was sitting on the couch at Naraku's apartment, trying not to gag from the thick scent of marijuana in the room. He watched as the older male was introducing the "lucky" new member to the gang. A few other men were by the sofa, leaning against the walls, and waiting in the kitchen.

The newest recruit looked as if he was hardly fourteen or fifteen, not to mention he looked lost. Inuyasha closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, knowing what was about to happen and preparing himself for the inevitable…

"Beat in or putting out a hit?" Naraku grinned to the newcomer, an arm wrapped around the teen's shoulders. Inuyasha could hear the delight in his voice, and it almost made him sicker than he already was. He couldn't understand how Naraku could be getting enjoyment out of putting a teen up to that decision.

The teen furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Naraku. "What do those mean exactly?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked. A beat-in is where a few of the guys here beat the shit out of you until I say stop. Putting out a hit, you'll go and kill whomever I chose."

"Beat in," Inuyasha heard the young male quietly reply after a short pause.

He inwardly swore, and Inuyasha shook his head slightly. _'Idiot…'_ he thought quietly to himself; it was a catch-22. _'He should have just stayed home…'_ his mind added. Inuyasha stood up as Naraku beckoned him over, knowing what role he was about to play.

"Take him down to the streets, Inuyasha," Naraku sternly said, no compassion in his voice.

Inuyasha only nodded once and led the young male out of the apartment and out of the complex. They were followed by Naraku and the other men who were in the room. Inuyasha took the young teenager into the middle of the street and turned towards him. His eyes glanced over to his gang members, who all looked pleased and ready to jump in.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha quietly said, inaudible to the others, but able to be heard by the rookie. After he uttered his apology, Inuyasha pulled his arm back and swung, striking the teen across the jaw, and immediately, the other members joined in. They each took shots at the younger male who was now on the ground, pathetically trying to fight back.

The younger male was in no way prepared for what was happening to him. Inuyasha watched as a foot of one of the gang members rammed into the teen's stomach with no mercy, another alternating punches to the boy's face with another member.

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he swung his foot forward, hitting the recruit in his stomach when it came his turn. He felt sick; he had always hated jumping new members in—it was inhumane. He tried to justify his thoughts. _'At least he won't have to kill an innocent person…'_

Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked down at the teen who was now on the defensive, covering his face from further abuse, letting out pained grunts and groans as the merciless beating continued.

Inuyasha looked over at Naraku pleadingly. "Naraku! Call it off! It's been long enough!" he shouted, seeing that the teen recruit was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness.

Naraku's cold eyes shifted from the youngest male to Inuyasha and narrowed. "What did you say? You want to tell me what to do? Matter of fact, yell?" The older male walked over to Inuyasha and pulled him away from the others, causing them to stop. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you've been getting a little mouthy. So, maybe you're trying to challenge me, huh?"

Inuyasha gulped; he knew Naraku's high was beginning to take over. "Naraku… No. I'm sorry," he said, looking off to the side and taking a small step back.

The streets went quiet as Naraku stepped back towards him, his hand fisting in Inuyasha's shirt. "So, now you're sorry, huh? What do I always say about apologizing? It's for bitches. You're nothing but a pathetic bitch, and so that's how I'm going to treat you!" he growled with fury in his voice.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and braced himself for what he knew was coming his way. He felt Naraku's fist strike the left side of his face. The teen tried his best to desperately pull away, but Naraku threw him to the ground, easily overpowering him.

He felt a sharp jolt race along his side, exploding into his spine. Before he could react, Naraku was over him, bashing his face with his fists. Inuyasha didn't bother to fight back—he knew that would only make things worse. Instead, he attempted to block the fists that were aimed for his face and chest, doing his best to ignore the aching pain in his back.

It was no use; soon, the other members of the gang picked him off the ground and held his arms tightly as Naraku commanded. Inuyasha felt a small trickle of blood roll from his temple down his cheek and reach his neck. It didn't stop his assailant—Naraku kept attacking him in a high rage and continued his strikes against Inuyasha's head.

"You're going to learn your place one way or another!" Naraku lashed. "And let this be a warning to all of you! If I'll beat the shit out of him, I'll gladly do the same to you. I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep!"

During that short pause, Inuyasha spat out blood that pooled into his mouth on the ground. He then received a swift punch to the middle of his gut, causing him to lose his breath. He panted, desperately trying to regain it, sharp pains hitting his lungs from the lack of air.

The side of his face was throbbing, and he couldn't find a gasp of breath. The teen couldn't see clearly out of one of his eyes which was growing swollen, he could taste nothing but blood, and his ribs and back ached.

"Let him go. He can get himself home," Naraku coldly said to the men who were holding Inuyasha's arms. They let him drop to the street. The asphalt scrapped the side of his face, and he watched as they walked away, leaving him in the middle of the road, alone.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Kagome walked down the halls of her school, ignoring the few of her friends who attempted to talk to her; other than Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka, the rest ignored her. She didn't care—if they were the kind of "friends" that she was losing, she was more than happy to give them up, albeit they had been her _best_ friends up until her little outburst a few days before.

She hadn't seen Inuyasha in two days and was beginning to wonder what had happened to him. She didn't have his address and had no clue about whether or not he had a cell phone. Her only option was to wait until English class. _'Maybe he's just been ditching… We need to start on our next project, though,'_ she thought to herself.

It wasn't long after she finished that thought that she walked outside to the lunch area and spotted him at the table they had sat at a few days prior. His head was down on the tabletop. She quirked her eyebrows, wondering if the male was sleeping at the lunch table.

She wandered over and lightly tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, Inuyasha? I remembered a jacket today…" she said, trying to start a conversation, happy to see he hadn't skipped out on her.

He picked his head up from the table but didn't look at her. "Oh…great. What do you want?" he gruffly asked.

'_Joy… He sounds irritated at me, and I haven't even done anything!'_ she stated in thought, glancing at the open area on the bench next to him.

She quickly sat down beside him and turned her body towards him. "I thought you'd let me sit by you since I've excluded myself from my old group of friends. Besides, you said we're friends now, right?"

"Oh…I need to go do something anyway," he said, trying to keep his monotone voice unsuspicious, but it didn't work. He swore inwardly when she pressed further before he was able to stand.

"What is it, Inuyasha? Is something wrong?" she inquired, seeming legitimately concerned.

"No. It's fine," he responded, still refusing to face her. Kagome wasn't buying it, and she grabbed his chin to turn his face towards hers. Her eyes grew wide at the shocking sight, and she let go immediately.

His face had looked worse than what she had seen before when they met in the hallway. Around his left eye was a giant, light purple bruise, his lip had what she knew was a healing gash in the upper lip, and his cheek had reddish scratches across it.

"Get a good look?" he asked, now angered for reasons unknown to her.

"Inuyasha…what happened to you?" Kagome asked, still shocked by the condition of his face.

"Don't worry about it. It was just a fight. I won. No big deal," he said, hoping she'd drop it there and move on.

"If your face looks like that and you won, I'd hate to see what the guy that lost looks like…" she responded, not sure if his fighting was the true reason because of how defensive he was about it. She sighed and looked down at the table, biting her lower lip, hoping he'd say something.

He didn't respond to her comment and instead changed the topic. "What did I miss in English?"

"Just the announcement that we'll be working on something else for Macbeth… We have to go to the public library and find a Shakespeare book of our choosing and compare the two, like the dialect, similar themes, etcetera. We're supposed to have a couple of pages by Tuesday next week, but since you were gone for a few days this week, the teacher said that we could have until Thursday."

"Alright. What are you looking at, princess?" he nearly growled, lowly, trying to not attract more attention than what was already on them. He didn't mean to snap at her, but he could tell she wasn't just talking to him—her eyes were glued to his scratches and bruises.

"Sorry. I'm just not used to someone randomly showing up with half of their face bruised up, you know?" she explained, only to receive a huff of frustration in response. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Stop saying sorry… It's fine." He ran a hand through his bandana-less hair and Kagome saw a healing cut across his forehead. She bite down on her tongue lightly to keep herself from making a comment about it; she didn't want to upset the other any further than what he already was.

Kagome sighed and nodded, fiddling with the zipper to her jacket, and sitting beside him in silence for a few awkward minutes.

"We can go on Sunday and look… Two days," he grumbled.

Kagome looked up at him and nodded, still unsure of what to say.

"I shouldn't have gotten angry at you like that. My face isn't your fault," he said quietly, looking at the grey tabletop.

"You're right. I would have done a better job with it," she retorted, trying to amuse him with a bit of teasing, having finally come up with a "good enough" comeback.

It seemed to work since he smirked and shook his head. "Keep telling yourself that, princess. As jacked-up as my face is, I still look better than you."

Kagome scoffed and hit his arm, having no effect on him. "You're such an asshole!" she said, not able to resist a smile that crept on her lips.

Inuyasha looked back at her and rolled his eyes. "You need to find some new insults."

"And you need to find something else to call me besides princess, your majesty, and your highness," she retorted.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. "Would you rather I called you queenie, countess, or maybe baroness? Pick something."

She looked at him with a slightly tilted head. "How about we start using each other's _actual_ names, huh, Inuyasha? Say it with me: _Kagome. Ka-go-me._"

Inuyasha stared at her, his grey eyes staring directly into her chocolate ones. He seemed as if he was in deep thought, though his eyes didn't hold much of a key to any emotion. They seemed almost empty.

After a few long seconds, he finally replied, "Mmm—no. I think I'm still going to call you princess." He stood up right as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and walked off without so much as another glance back at her.

She sat there, mouth agape at his casualness, then let a small smile appear. He was a jerk, but at least they weren't at each other's throats anymore.

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><p><strong>AGAIN I AM SO SORRY THIS UPDATE IS LATE! DX I give you all permission to stone be or light me afire. But…then there wouldn't be anymore updates at all…It's a double-edged sword I suppose. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, leave a review please! ^_^ And the next chapter will be up shortly…probably tomorrow!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Alrighty~ Just as I promised, here is chapter eight of Renegade! I'm glad most of you seem to be enjoying it so far and I just want to thank everyone who is reviewing and who will review! ^_^ I hope this story doesn't disappoint. BUT GAH IT'S SHORT TOO. Well...at least you guys got three chapters in two days. =.=**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim everything that can possibly be disclaimed. Especially the InuYasha franchise.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 8~<strong>_

The morning was surprisingly, for the most part, quiet and still. There were no sirens, no car alarms, no dogs barking, not even the sound of a helicopter passing overhead. The only gentle sounds that were heard was the light chirping of small birds and an off-key coo of a pigeon sitting somewhere atop a balcony.

Inuyasha opened his eyes as his alarm clock sounded off, the buzzing leaving a slight ringing in his ears because of how loud he had set the volume. As he opened his eyes, he shut off the alarm and sat up on his mattress. He pushed the single blanket off of his body and stretched. His body was still sore, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what it had been before.

Today was finally Sunday, and he was supposed to meet Kagome at the library. He yawned, pushed himself off of his bed, and headed into his bathroom.

He glanced at himself in the mirror above the sink and, placing his hands on the porcelain, leaned in closer to the glass. His bruises had gone away for the most part except for a small spot directly under his left eye and a few that rested on his torso.

The teen began to remember the night that it all happened and shook his head at the reminder. He didn't want to think about it. Despite Naraku apologizing for losing his temper, he did it in his usual "I don't really give a shit" manner, "since you _were_ out of place" way.

Inuyasha turned on the water in the sink with more force than necessary and splashed his face with the cool liquid in an attempt to wake himself up more. He let the water run more as he patted his face dry with a hand towel hanging on the rack in the bathroom.

The onyx-haired teen looked at himself once more in the mirror before grabbing his toothbrush and brushing his teeth. Inuyasha rinsed and stood up, heading back into his room to fumble through the small space he called a closet and pulled out some clothes before returning to the bathroom for a quick shower.

He had to at least look presentable for the princess.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Kagome had woken up in a very good mood; the sun was shining, and the temperature was amazingly in the higher mid-sixties, only requiring her to wear a light jacket.

Since the library wasn't far from her home, she decided to walk, enjoying the soft breezes that went by, though certain ones did send a fair chill down her back, forcing her to hug the jacket closer to her body. As she walked towards the pubic library, she noticed the trees around her had begun to change, the green leaves giving way to yellow and orange ones. Another gentle breeze rolled by, causing a few of the dying leaves to succumb and fall to the concrete sidewalk.

Kagome walked into the large four-story building and adjusted the strap of her smaller messenger bag—not the one she used for school, but one that more so resembled a purse. She wandered further in and headed for the section she assumed would hold more of Shakespeare's plays.

"Well, don't you look spiffy," a low voice said behind her.

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha looking at her. "What are you talking about? I'm just in jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket," she replied.

"You really aren't that smart when it comes to picking up sarcasm, are you?" He smirked, turning his attention to the bookshelf in front of them. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and continued looking through the selection. "So, what book do you want to grab?" she asked.

Inuyasha only shrugged. "Maybe we should just borrow more than one since all of Shakespeare's plays show more than one element of each other." He glanced at the different sections of books and began heading to where he was familiar.

Kagome looked at him, her eyes lit with curiosity as she followed him. "You sound very knowledgeable about Shakespeare."

"Is that yet another surprise?" he responded dryly, thumbing through a book unrelated to the author they were supposed to be looking for.

Kagome bit her lower lip and shook her head. "No. Sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound that way."

He shrugged and said, "It's fine," putting the book back and staring at Kagome. "What are you looking at now?" he bit out, his brows turning down showing his irritation and confusion.

Kagome's eyes roamed over Inuyasha's attire. His jeans were black and neatly fastened with a belt around his waist, and he was wearing a red shirt that wasn't overly sized. It actually fit him perfectly, showing off his arms, which looked strong. He was also free of a bandana covering his hair, and his shoulder-length hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Oh, sorry, just…I don't think I've ever seen you without a sweatshirt on, except for maybe once or twice, and even then you had on baggy shirts or long-sleeves. It's just different," she explained with a shrug.

Inuyasha nodded once. "I guess we both surprise each other. Your outfit actually makes you seem down-to-earth, princess."

Kagome rolled her eyes and once again stuck her tongue out at him. "I am very much down-to-earth, thank you very much."

"Oh, that's mature." He smirked again, quickly grabbing a giant book he spotted perched on a high shelf. "This says it's a collection of his poems and such… It'd be easier to just borrow this one instead of multiple books that we'd have to keep track of."

Kagome was about to retort his comment, but then stopped, looking at the book. "Oh… Yeah, you're right. I didn't even see that there."

"Keh. That's because you're short," he quickly responded, receiving narrowed eyes glaring his way. Without looking at her, he walked towards the front of the library and lightly placed the book on the counter. He waited for Kagome to catch up as she was fiddling in her bag.

"Sorry. I'm looking for my card; I can't find it," she huffed in frustration.

He sighed and pulled out his wallet, taking out a library card and letting one of the women behind the desk scan it.

"You have a library card?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Annnd we have _another_ shocker!" he said sarcastically, mocking her own shocked tone.

Kagome wanted to slap herself; so far, she was making an ass of herself. They were supposed to be friends, and she wasn't helping it along. She was supposed to stop sounding so shocked, and it still all kept coming out wrong.

"I'm sorry… I need to stop sounding so surprised. I don't mean for it to come out that way," she began to explain as she walked with him towards the exit.

"It's fine, you know. You don't have to say sorry for every little thing. It's not like I'm not used to it. I'm mostly just giving you shit."

Kagome looked at him seriously. "That doesn't make it right for me to get you even more used to it…" she trailed off, realizing that her sentence didn't sound right.

"You have such a way with words. You know that, princess?"

And again with the damn nickname.

They walked side-by-side towards Kagome's home in silence. The young brunette held onto the strap of her bag, spaced out in thought, her eyes fixated on the sidewalk, though she wasn't staring anywhere in particular.

Inuyasha every so often glanced over at her, surprised that she was quiet practically the whole way. "Guess it's my turn to be surprised."

"Huh?" she asked, snapping out of her daze, confused as to why he would be surprised about anything.

"You've actually shut up."

Kagome grinned vainly. "Told you I could stay quiet!"

"Okay, calm down. It's not that big of a feat…at least for _normal_ people."

"Well, what counts as normal?" she responded, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I…don't know… Touché."

The pair finally reached Kagome's home and walked up the driveway then to her door. "Uhm, we can start working on the actual paper tomorrow, if you want. We have all week," Kagome said, looking at Inuyasha's face, finally able to get a good look at him, seeing that his bruises had faded.

"Yeah, that's fine," he distractedly replied. His eyes were focused on her house. The white paint was still covering the seemingly perfect outside; it hadn't been a mirage before. The windows were crisp and clear, the interior of the home being shielded from site by burgundy-colored drapes in some and cream-colored drapes in others.

"You know, it's just a house," she quietly said, noticing where his mind was at.

"Yeah, I know." He looked back at her and handed her the book he had checked out. "Here—it'll probably be better taken care of at your place."

Kagome gently took the book from his hands and smiled. "If you say so. Though I'm liable to forget it in the morning."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Like you said, we have all week."

Kagome nodded. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She turned taking a few more steps to close the distance to her front door. Suddenly, she felt his hand lightly pull her elbow, turning her back around towards him, and he placed a kiss to her lips.

The brunette gasped, not expecting the sudden embrace. Her eyes widened, and her body tensed.

Inuyasha didn't know what had taken over him, but only knew that the urge to kiss her had been present since she had shown concern over the condition of his face a few days prior. And so he went for it.

He felt her pull away, a more than stunned expression covering her face. Her lips were parted, and she looked unsure about what to do. He knew he had just messed up. "I'm sorry… I really don't know why I did that. I just—"

His sentence was cut short as her lips pressed against his again, her eyes closed. He smiled a bit, happy that he hadn't received a slap in return for the sudden show of affection, and lightly caressed his lips over hers. Inuyasha deepened the embrace before breaking apart and looking at the blush that had appeared on her cheeks.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she softly whispered against his lips, drawing her bottom one into her mouth.

He nodded slowly, they shared a short peck to the lips, and Kagome soon disappeared into her house. Inuyasha felt something different inside his chest and stomach, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. What had just happened to him in that split second for a moment? It wasn't normal to just go around kissing the first girl that showed concern for you.

What the hell had come over him? He smiled a bit more, feeling odd. Did he really have a crush on the highness?

The young teen turned and sauntered back down the driveway, his stolid expression returning to his face as he headed towards the bus stop, his thoughts swirling. Soon, he'd be back in his neighborhood, more than likely getting himself into potential danger and trouble.

He sighed and closed his eyes, the moment having been bittersweet. It had hit him just then—she let him kiss her…but what was he really expecting to get out of it? She was rich, and he was poor. She was popular despite her change of crowds, and he was a thug. She was headed somewhere in life, and the only place he was headed was the grave or a jail cell.

He covered his face in his hands; the realizations he had come up with played over and over and over again in his head, consuming him. His thoughts wrapped around him and choked him, almost mockingly. Why would someone like Kagome Higurashi ever want him? He didn't even have a real family that wanted him. Naraku only needed him around to do his dirty work, and even then he could be useless.

His eyes were closed as he tried to calm his mind down; it wasn't the first time his thoughts had begun to get the best of him. It had been this way since his father died—he was used to it. He could handle it and get through it.

He almost wanted to laugh at himself for being so foolish as to think he stood a chance with the girl. Even Naraku called him scum and worthless. Pretty soon, Kagome would realize that, too, he told himself. _'She'll see I'm not worth the trouble… We're English partners, and that's all…' he tried to convince himself. But he couldn't._

He held in a frustrated huff as to not draw more attention to himself. He began to think that he should ride out what he could with Kagome; if she was even truly interested, then she'd get tired of him. She'd break it off, and they could go their separate ways.

It would at least get his small, irrational crush out of the way.

Or so he hoped.

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><p><strong>And that does it for chapter 8! ^_^ You guys got your kiss~ So I hope you review and let me know what you think of thestory so far and that you stick around to see where this all leads. Thank you all so much who have already reviewed. I apprieciate it a lot!<strong>

**The next chapter will be up on either the 10th or the 11th of this month. Again HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND for all those of you celebrating.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here is chapter nine! Thank you all who reviewed! I'm so happy that the last chapter went over well. ^_^ Please let me know what you think of this chapter as well!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha! DX**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 9~<strong>_

The next day, as Kagome prepared herself for school, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in, Mom," she replied as she was getting a pair of converse on her feet. She couldn't stop thinking about Inuyasha or their kiss the previous afternoon. Every time the thought crossed her mind, a smile would find its way to her lips. Her thoughts were then interrupted by her mother's voice.

"Kagome, I wasn't going to say anything before, but yesterday, I saw you and a young man exchange a sort of…intimate interaction?"

The young brunette stared at her mother, raising an eyebrow at the over-formal way her mother spoke. "You mean a _kiss_?" she asked, stressing the last word in her sentence as if to tell her mom that it was okay to say the word.

"Yes, that… Are you involved with that young man romantically?" her mother inquired, nervous to hear the answer.

"You're asking if he's my _boyfriend_?" Kagome stressed her word again as she tied her shoe, only halfway paying her mother any mind. "If that's what you're asking, then I'm not sure… We'll see, I guess," she responded nonchalantly. She wasn't sure how her mother would even react to her dating Inuyasha, but she was almost positive it wouldn't be good.

Her mother was taken aback by her daughter's blunt response. "Kagome! He already has you acting like a jezebel," she exclaimed.

'_Looks like I was right,'_ Kagome thought in disdain.

"Mom, can I ask why you're talking like that? All uppity and weird? Also…you just called me a slut for kissing someone?" Kagome stood up and grabbed her bag, pushing some of her hair behind her ear and raising a brow at her mother, starting to grow irritated at the woman's behavior.

"Well…I was just trying to put things in a nicer way. You aren't a slut. I would never call you that, Kagome. But you kissed a man that looks like a hoodlum, and you don't care if you are dating him! Excuse a mother for being concerned."

"Paranoid is more I like it," Kagome grumbled under her breath, walking past her mother.

"What was that, young lady?" she gasped, following after her teenage daughter.

"Nothing, Mom. I'll see you later. You have nothing to worry about." With that, she was out the door, headed for the bus stop, leaving her guardian standing in the living room, still very much aghast.

Kagome crossed her arms as she walked down the block to the bus stop, her mother's tone and words ringing in her head. So what if they did kiss yesterday? Did it really have to be anything serious? Kagome's thoughts began to wander.

'_My mom is freakin' nuts…but she did make me think. Are Inuyasha and I technically dating now? He'd have to be interested in that, wouldn't he?'_ she wondered, not noticing the bus having pulled up in front of her since she was staring at the ground, pondering to herself.

"Are you getting on, miss?" the older gentleman driving the vehicle asked her, snapping Kagome away from her thoughts.

She looked up at him, a little startled, but regained her composure and nodded, getting on and flashing her bus pass.

As she took her place on one of the side seats of the bus, she flipped open her phone and saw she had missed text messages from Yuka and Eri. _We're sorry Kags. Come back to the group! _and _We'll stop joking around about people. Ayumi even told her bf to quit it. Hope to hear from you soon._

Kagome sighed and closed her phone again. She did want to forgive her friends, but at the same time, she knew they would just start up again in a few days or weeks. Not to mention, the brunette could hold a grudge like no other when she wanted to, and she just wasn't quite ready to forgive them.

—_**xxxxx**_—

As the bus pulled up to the school, Kagome stood, preparing to get off at her stop. Out of one of the side windows, she saw Inuyasha and felt a smile reach her lips once more, her worries from before going away. She quickly went down the short steps as she left the bus and saw him leaning against the bus stop sign, his eyes downcast onto the pavement.

"Waiting for me?" she playfully asked, feeling a flipping of her stomach, not knowing what to expect from the sweatshirt-clad male.

His grey eyes looked up at her, a light smirk threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth. "Someone is a little conceited, don't you think? How do you know I'm not waiting for someone else?" he asked.

"Because you've never waited here before. I would know—I'm here every weekday," she quickly responded, walking over closer to him, quickly licking her lips, nervous that she found herself wishing he would greet her with a kiss.

"Well, in all honesty, I just want the book we got from the library," he said, almost fooling Kagome with his tone of voice until she felt his lips on hers. He pulled her close to him, and she almost melted in his strong arms. She moved her arms over his shoulders lightly, kissing back.

She had been kissed before, but there was something different about it when he kissed her. She broke the embrace, opened her eyes, and looked at him, staring into his steel-colored irises.

"You know, if we kiss or anything during school, it'll be the number one topic among our fellow students talk about," he softly said, though in his tone he didn't seem to care.

Kagome shrugged. "You're probably right… Inuyasha, wait—before we go any further, though, I need to know… Are we, like, dating?" she asked, not sure about the answer.

"If you would like that, yes." He unwrapped his arms from her and opened her messenger bag, reaching in and grabbing the book.

"Yes, I wou— What are you doing? You never go in a woman's purse!" she exclaimed, only receiving a blank stare in return.

"But this is a messenger bag," he matter-of-factly stated.

"You know what I mean, smartass," she retorted, smiling a bit. So far, this teen male standing across from her had managed to get a smile out of her, or nearly do so, even when she was angry at him. He looked down the street and saw Kagome's old posse heading their way.

"And here comes your crowd," he muttered in derisory.

Kagome's gaze followed his, and she bit her lip, wondering what they could possibly want. Instead of speaking to her, they all headed up the steps to go into the school building. She didn't see Eri, Yuka, or Ayumi among them and assumed they must have already been inside. Kagome shrugged and turned to look back at Inuyasha to see his eyes widened with surprise.

"So, princess, should we go inside now?" he said, his features returning to normal, deciding not to comment on her group giving her the cold shoulder.

"You're still not going to use my name, are you?" she asked bluntly, already knowing the answer.

"Maybe eventually. Can we go now?"

The brunette nodded, grabbed Inuyasha's hand—much to his surprise—and led him up the steps. "So, what happened to your bandana? I noticed you're not wearing it today," she commented.

Inuyasha looked at her. "I can wear it, if you'd like… I just figured I'd draw less attention without it. Besides, I found when I wore it, people were more intimidated."

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at him. "Oh, whatever you do is up to you. But your hair is pretty; you should leave it out."

"'But your hair is pretty'," he said aloud, mocking her. "I've never gotten that compliment before. See what I mean? It's less intimidating."

She narrowed her eyes playfully at him and was about to say something back until she heard a gasp. Kagome turned around towards the shocked sound to see a student's eyes glued on her and Inuyasha's intertwined fingers, and then the teen practically run off.

"Well, I give it ten minutes before everyone in the school knows…" he grumbled and rolled his eyes, preparing himself for the comments he knew he'd hear.

Kagome looked back at him and pursed her lips a bit, as if in thought. "I'd actually say about five."

"Regardless, either way, we won't be left alone," he sighed, looking ahead with his usual stolid expression.

"Oh, well." She pulled him along with her, heading towards her first period class. They each ignored the stares and obvious gasps they received from their peers. The chrome-eyed teen stopped in front of Kagome's class and pulled her close to him, his eyes serious as always.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Don't let anyone give you any hell over me holding your hand or anything like that…"

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows at his grave tone. "Or what?"

"Just don't let them…" he muttered, running a hand through his hair, looking at a few guys who passed by them to go into the classroom, blatantly looking at the new couple. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at them, and the young males quickly retreated into the safety of the room.

"I'm going to find you to be violent, aren't I?" Kagome said, looking off to the side, biting her lip a bit, her eyes glued to the door where the males had walked through.

Inuyasha sighed and turned her chin towards him gently. "Maybe to people who threaten me or even you. But I'm more so just protective… It just depends."

"Okay; fair enough," she responded, staring into his gaze. Her eyes closed as his lips pressed to hers, and they shared a quick kiss.

"Maybe later…we can go on an actual date?" he whispered against her lips.

Kagome smiled some. "I'd like that, but hey, cheer up a little 'cause—" She was cut off by hearing the second bell, signaling that they had a minute to get to class. "You'd better go. I'll see you at lunch."

Inuyasha nodded and turned, quickly heading off to his class as Kagome walked into hers and sat down, receiving stares from nearly everyone in the class except her teacher.

"_How long have you and Taisho been going out?"_

"_What do you guys even have in common?"_

"_Is he forcing you to go out with him?"_

"_Did you fall and hit your head, Kagome?"_

The comments and questions swarmed in immediately, and it was only her first class of the day. She wasn't sure how much she could take and tried to shrug them off, though a few still got under her skin. Nonetheless, she managed to keep her temper under control and not cause a scene in her class, preferring to not draw any attention.

As the class period slowly but surely went on, she was seeing that she was better off not associating herself with these students who used to claim themselves as her friends. Eventually, the comments slowed as they weren't pointed towards her, but instead turned into whispers amongst the students themselves.

It was just a study day in her History class. They were free to discuss practically anything…and she had another forty minutes to sit through.

—_**xxxxx**_—

As Inuyasha sat in the back of his Algebra II class, he let his mind space, not paying attention to his teacher at the front of the class. He already knew the lesson the instructor was going over, so he didn't see a reason for him to dedicate his full attention to it.

He was again doodling away in his notebook, not drawing anything particular this time around. _'You're so fucking stupid…'_ he scolded himself. Only one day, and he was showing Kagome that he was a possessive bastard. It wasn't that he wanted to be, but he didn't want to lose her as a friend. If it wasn't meant to be between them as a couple, then so be it.

It didn't really bother him that they hardly knew anything about one another—but she was the only person he could truly call a _friend_, and he didn't want to give that up just because the students wouldn't leave her alone.

The teen knew very few would dare say anything to him directly since they were under the impression that Inuyasha had a posse that would jump them after school or that he carried a gun or knife on him at all times. But that didn't mean the words about him wouldn't reach Kagome or, instead, be pointed at her.

He rolled his eyes to himself, flipping the page in his notebook to begin drawing a separate piece. He wondered how many things Kagome had already heard because of him and began to blame himself. Who was he kidding? Any relationship between them other than being mere acquaintances would end in disaster and only cause drama in her perfect life.

He had to face it—he would never fit in with her glamorous world: the money, the nice home, loving family (he assumed), brand new (and paid for) clothes. Her neighborhood was glitzy; his was filled with gang-bangers and drug-dealers. His thoughts became flooded with negative feelings, trying to snap his mind back to reality about what was real.

In his mind, the reality was that he'd never be good enough for her. Only one day, no official date, and he was already having doubts about everything. _'I should have never kissed her… I just couldn't help myself. Ugh, I'm so fucking stupid,'_ he reminded himself. He was going to try his best to keep his mind in his own definition of realistic. He didn't want to get his hopes up about what he knew was an impossible goal.

He cleared his thoughts away for the most part and continued to draw, adding detail to the picture here and there, all the while ignoring the murmurs of gossip he could just barely make out.

"_She had to have lost a bet to date him."_

"_No way will he ever be in her league."_

"_Maybe he's paying her?"_

"_I think she's taking pity."_

"_Well, her life is going down the toilet now, for as long as she's with him."_

Inuyasha gripped his mechanical pencil tightly. Hearing a small _crack_ in the mostly quiet classroom, the students went quiet.

The teen looked into his hand and saw his pencil; it didn't break all the way, but it was ninety-nine percent of the way there, bent in a near V-shape. Inuyasha sighed and threw the pencil back in his backpack before grabbing a new one. He looked up and saw multiple pairs of eyes watching him, and he narrowed his own back towards them.

The students quickly spun around in their desks, not bothering to say another word. Inuyasha grumbled to himself, trying to keep his short fuse unlit, and his mind began to wander again.

'_Crap…I'm going on a date later…'_ He didn't know what he was going to do, but something inside of him wanted to impress her. Even if they weren't meant to last, the least he could do was look presentable.

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><p><strong>And that does it for this chapter! ^_^ Remember to review, please!<strong>

**OH AND ****PLEASE READ:**I have a **list of stories/one-shots **that are currently in the works **on my profile **if you would like to see that and see what's in store for the next few months/rest of the year. (There's **more than what's on the list, but those are the ones that I am completely dedicated to**.)

**Also, please go vote in the poll that I have up on my profile. ^_^ I would like to see what you are all interested in.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's Renegade chapter ten! I hope you all enjoy it and remember there is a poll on my profile asking about what story/one-shot you are most interested in! I'd really appreciate it if you guys took it if you haven't already. ^_^ I'll leave it up for one more week.**

**Thank you to those that have and those of you that will in the future!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT - I REPEAT **_**NOT**_** OWN INUYASHA.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 10~<strong>_

It was finally after school, and Kagome had headed to her home alone. She had managed to make it through the day without pulling her hair out from the constant whispers. _'Seriously…those people need lives,'_ she thought to herself as she waited at the bus stop.

She sighed and thought about Inuyasha—how he had pulled her aside after their English class and told her he had to go and take care of a few errands, but to meet him at a local Italian restaurant on her side of town.

Kagome wondered what those errands could have been in the back of her mind, but preferred to ignore it for the most part. She didn't want to assume anything about him anymore. He had already proven her wrong on so many levels.

Though she couldn't help pondering why he had rushed off so fast. Sure, he had errands, but he hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to her after school. Her eyes roamed to the surrounding trees as their leaves began to fall around her, the gentle breeze wrapping them in the wind's current and dancing them down the sidewalk. The wind's chill relaxed her a bit, calming her mind, to her surprise.

The brunette couldn't let her thoughts create false presumptions of what her new beau could be up to. She knew he wasn't the most innocent person that attended the school, as on more than one occasion she recalled seeing cigarettes in his backpack and the outline of a box about the size of a carton in his pockets.

Then again, if he smoked, who knew what else he did on the side when no one else was looking. She hugged her binder close to her chest, pursing her lips a bit and trying to figure out how she would be telling her mother that she was going out on date with the same young man she thought was "corrupting" her daughter.

'_I guess I don't have to tell her…'_ she mused in her head, wondering how much her mother would freak if she randomly went out and didn't tell her where she was going.

—_**xxxxx**_—

He fumbled in his pocket for his keys, finding them and quickly letting himself into his apartment. Inuyasha slammed the door behind him in a rush and threw his backpack on the crude-looking couch before heading back to his bedroom.

He swiftly pulled off his sweatshirt and t-shirt along with it. The charcoaled-eyed male then began sifting through his closet, pulling out one of his only nice, black, button-down shirts. He continued his search, picking out a pair of black denim as well, and swiftly raced to his bathroom to change.

Inuyasha placed his clothes on his sink and looked up into the mirror— He stopped. He had on a smirk; not his usual one, but one as if he was actually…_excited_ and maybe even anxious—the good kind. He took a deep breath, and then it hit him, the reason why he was so excited and actually feeling happy for once: it would be his _first _date. He had never seen the kind of look on his face that was currently there before.

As stupid and cheesy as he felt, he couldn't stop his natural reaction to something like this. Not wanting to stall any longer, he quickly got the water going in his shower. He ran a nervous hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. He hoped he'd be able to impress her; despite all his negative thoughts and feelings about whatever they could possibly end up being, he still held an ounce of hope deep down…

He was so preoccupied with what would be happening within a short time period, he failed to think about one important detail: Naraku.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Kagome drove up to the restaurant in the sleek, white compact car her mother owned (with the elder's permission, of course). She parked next to the curb and looked at herself once more in the rearview mirror. She made sure to not go over heavy on her mascara, eyeliner, or lip gloss; she kept it casual.

She smoothed out her strapless, red, mid-thigh cocktail dress—one of her favorites that she owned—and got out of the car, making sure to set the alarm. The young teen walked up to the entrance of the restaurant and began looking around for her date.

The thought of looking for her _date _made her smile like a preteen seeing their idol in concert. _'I think I'm actually getting butterflies…' _she thought quietly to herself as she felt the faintest of flutters in her stomach.

The featherlike breeze of the autumn evening washed over Inuyasha as he approached the restaurant. From afar, he spotted her, looking as gorgeous as ever. He admired the way the scarlet gown flaunted her perfect figure, even the matching ankle-high, garnet strappy-heels. She was quite the enticing sight.

Her hair looked soft as ever as her natural, subtle waves splayed over her shoulders, a portion that was placed on the front of her shoulder nearly reaching the tops of her breasts. As he got closer, he realized she must have been looking for him. A grin appeared on his face as he stood a few feet behind her.

"You look beautiful," he said smoothly, his usual monotone having disappeared for the most part.

Kagome, startled by the sudden voice, turned quickly and smiled at him. "You scared me…but thank you. You clean up nice yourself," she complimented back.

She looked over what looked like a new Inuyasha. He had on a suave, button-down shirt, onyx black with black jeans. His smoldering, grey eyes almost burned their way into hers. His hair was neatly brushed back into a ponytail, exposing his two pierced ears that each held what looked like a small gold hoop.

"You ready to go inside?" he asked, holding out his hand for her. Kagome bit her lower lip and nodded, grabbing his hand and letting herself be led inside to the front desk.

After they were seated and had ordered their food, Kagome looked over at her date. "So, do you think the pasta will be good?"

"I've never been here before; I had assumed you had," Inuyasha commented back, shrugging. "But, yeah, it all looked good on the menu, and the food in the back smells delicious," he said with a soft chuckle.

It was one of the first times the brunette had heard such a sound from the male sitting next to her in the small booth that was secluded in the back of the restaurant. "It does smell good, and no, I've never been. I don't eat out much," she admitted, placing her elbow on the table and lightly placing her chin in her palm.

Inuyasha's eyes shifted, focusing on her lips. Kagome didn't seem to notice as she kept talking. "So, what do you do for fun? Other than read or draw," she asked, curious as to what the other teen did to keep himself busy on a regular day.

The smoky-eyed male shrugged, taking a sip of his water. "I sometimes go for a walk or something," he spoke, trying to keep details of what usually kept him busy a secret.

Kagome nodded, accepting the answer. "What about watching TV or playing video games?"

Inuyasha shook his head, taking another sip of his water. "I don't have a TV or any type of video game," he mumbled. His eyes turned towards hers once he placed his glass down.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she responded, growing quiet as she tried to think of something else to ask or say.

"I don't need an apology; I can get myself one. That's no problem. I just don't want one," he explained with a shrug of his shoulders, his grey eyes never leaving her dark russet ones.

She smiled a bit. "Oh, well, that's a bit different to hear. You make it sound as if you live on your own," she said jokingly at first, not realizing the truth about his personal life.

"I do. I live in an apartment," he bluntly stated, looking away from her and at the waiter who approached them, setting their pasta plates in front of them, wishing them a good meal, and politely walking away.

"Ah…I see. So, are you, like, emancipated from your parents or something?" Kagome inquired, curious as to why the teen would live alone.

"I'm nineteen, but I guess you could say that," he quietly said, not bothering to tell her that both of his parents were deceased. He watched her dip her fork into the creamy noodles and take a delicate bite and gazed upon her smile of delight as she tasted the food.

"This food is delicious… Sorry, off-topic, I know—but yeah, I know you're nineteen, but still, a majority of nineteen year olds who are in high school and, hell, even in college live with their parents…" She trailed off before clearing her throat. "You can tell me if I'm being nosy, you know," she said, not wanting to stray into any subject he didn't want to discuss.

"You're being nosy," he replied in a smart-alecky way, a light smirk gracing his lips as he took a bite of his pasta, agreeing with her earlier critique.

Kagome scooted closer to him in their small booth, and Inuyasha wrapped his left arm around her waist. She playfully stuck her tongue out at him for his comment about her being nosy and stayed quiet. "You're actually silent… Any other questions?" he wondered as they both took a bite of their food in unison.

The young brunette looked at him with bright eyes, obviously holding hundreds if not thousands of questions she wanted answered. "Well, I don't want this to be completely one-sided… Why don't you ask me some things?" she suggested, taking a sip of her soda.

Inuyasha looked back at her, thinking of the various questions he could ask her. "Have you ever had a boyfriend before?" he wondered in a monotone fashion.

Kagome almost coughed on her drink as her eyes turned back to him. "You just jump right into it, don't you?" she laughed softly. "But…no, not really. I've had like two kisses in my life, but that's it," Kagome responded, a bit embarrassed at her lack of experience.

"Nothing wrong with that…" He trailed off, thinking of his next question.

"What about you?" she inquired back.

"No, I've never had a boyfriend before, either," he sarcastically responded with a smirk, earning narrowed eyes and a smile in return.

"Oh, ha-ha. You're such a smartass," Kagome said, nudging him in his side gently before taking a few more bites of her pasta.

"My ass thanks you for acknowledging its intellect," Kagome heard him say back and accidentally laughed aloud.

"Wow, I've never heard that one before," she said, stopping her light chuckles. Before she said anything back, she felt his lips on hers, her eyes fluttered shut as she returned the small sign of affection. Her palm settled gently on the side of his face, pulling him closer in.

They broke the kiss after a few short seconds as to not draw attention to themselves. Kagome licked her lips once and raised an eyebrow towards him. "So what about you? Any past relationships?"

Inuyasha sighed softly and shook his head. "No. In all honesty…this is my first date," he mumbled, not sure as to why he had admitted that small detail about himself.

"Really? So, was I, like, your first kiss?" Kagome asked, extremely intrigued to find out this fact about her date.

"No, you weren't. But you're only the fourth girl I've ever kissed," he said. "Technically third, if you don't count the one I had when I was eight."

"Aw, that's cute. I was fourteen when I had my first kiss, so you beat me by several good years," she said, absentmindedly playing with the light stubble Inuyasha had on his chin. "Can you grown a beard or a mustache?" she asked, quickly changing subjects.

"You're like a goldfish with ADD; you know that, right?" he commented in his normal, near toneless voice.

Kagome laughed a bit as she continued to mess with the hairs on his chin. "Oh, whatever. I'm just keeping our conversation going."

"I wasn't expecting it to stop," he assumed. "And not really. I get a few hairs on my chin; that's about it. I meant to shave it off."

"Oh" was all she said back, stopping her movements and looking back at their food, her plate half-gone and his nearly full. "Am I keeping you from eating?" she worried.

Inuyasha shook his head in response. "I'm just not that hungry… I don't eat much to begin with," he explained, not wanting her to think he didn't like the food since that wasn't the case.

"Alright then. Any other things about me you want to know?" she questioned, not having anything to hide about herself.

Inuyasha shrugged, his eyes glued on her face as if he was committing it to memory. The feeling she got from the look in his eyes, though they lacked much emotion, almost gave her chills. She could sense there was something there lying deep down inside of him. She felt her cheeks grow hot, more than likely from blushing, and she couldn't help stop her next comment. "You have really pretty eyes…"

She wanted to slap herself for saying something in such a "fangirl" manner, as if she was a little kid talking to their very first crush.

Inuyasha grinned back. "Thank you. So do you."

They continued to talk about school, where they went to middle school, and their favorites in music, food, movies, and even color. Even when they had each finished what was on their plates, they carried on their conversations for at least an extra hour, jumping from topic to topic, going off on different stories depending on the subject (though more so on Kagome's part rather than Inuyasha's).

Kagome then looked at her phone, noticed it was nine o'clock, and sighed, not particularly caring about her curfew, but also not wanting to have her mother go on a rampage in town looking for her.

Inuyasha noticed the time on Kagome's cell and glanced at her. "You should get home; it's fairly late, and it's a school night," he said in a purposefully professional tone of voice, which made Kagome chuckle softly.

"I guess you're right. I'm surprised you don't want to keep me out all night," she said, playing once again with the few stray hairs on Inuyasha's chin.

He playfully made a small attempt to bite her fingers and looked at her. "I'm not going to keep you out on the first date. Maybe the second or third, though," he commented, only kidding.

Kagome bit her lower lip and looked back at him. "Alright, well, I brought my mom's car. Do you want me to drop you off at your apartment?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened for a short second before returning to normal. "No, that's not necessary…but I would like to see you home, and I can walk and take the bus from there."

"Oh, okay then. If you insist." She nodded and slid out from the booth, waiting for Inuyasha. He pulled out his wallet and threw a few twenties on the table before standing and joining Kagome, locking hands and walking out the restaurant.

"I could have paid if you wanted me to," she quietly spoke, not knowing if she had just said something offensive to him.

"If I wanted you to pay, I would have asked. I make sure I have some money on me," he remarked back to her.

Kagome didn't press as to where he had gotten the money, already hearing rumors around the school about his business in…"sales". They got into Kagome's car, and she drove off towards her house. It was a quick, but quiet ride back to her home.

As they got out of the car and walked up the driveway, Inuyasha turned her around and pulled her close to him. She felt her cheeks grow hot again. She began to wonder how a guy, as stoic and unemotional as Inuyasha seemed to be, could send such romantic chills through her body.

This time she pushed herself up on the tips of her toes and pressed their lips together. Inuyasha smiled a bit into the kiss and parted his lips slightly, the tip of his tongue delicately caressing the bottom line of her lower lip.

Kagome hummed softly, parting her own lips, obliging to the silent plea, and let his tongue slip into her mouth.

The tip of his tongue gracefully danced against and with hers as he pulled her closer, his arms wrapped around her even more.

Kagome knew her blush had to have overtaken the entirety of her features. She felt him draw her lower lip into his mouth, carefully nipping at it and running his tongue along the length of it. She let a soft moan escape her lips in the midst of the passionate kiss and pulled away after a few more short, but intense seconds.

This time when she looked at him, his eyes held something different inside of them. They weren't void or emotionless, but the brunette wasn't able to quite place her finger on what it was. As she opened her mouth to say something, the outside light began flicking on and off.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the taller and older male. "Well, that'll be my mom."

Inuyasha smiled a bit unsteadily. "Yeah…I'll see you tomorrow, princess."

Kagome nodded back, sighing. "See you tomorrow, Inuyasha. And my name is _not_ princess," she replied in a matter-of-fact way. Though that didn't make a difference to the teen male.

He grinned and kissed her forehead once. "Kagome," he mumbled against her skin before turning and walking away from her property to head towards the bus stop down the street.

Kagome smiled and shook her head, turning away and heading into her house.

As Inuyasha walked towards the bench to await the bus, his smile faded. It was in that moment he remembered what he had neglected to take into account earlier…

And that was _Naraku._

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><p><strong>Alright well that does it for chapter 10 ^_^ I hope you all enjoyed it well enough and at least it wasn't <strong>_**too**_** short! Let me know what you like/don't like in a review or else I'll never know! Haha. Until next time~**

**The next chapter will be up in a week.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again everyone. Thank you to all who voted in the poll. ^_^ It'll be closed by the time this chapter is posted. I appreciate the input. Also thank you to all who reviewed!**

**Anyway enough stalling, here is chapter eleven!**

**Disclaimer: T.T Didn't I just say that was enough stalling? I DON'T OWN THE SHOW.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 11~<strong>_

Kagome walked into her front door and closed it gently behind her. She had a dreamy smile on her lips and felt a flutter as it danced away in the core of her stomach.

"Young lady, you hardly know the man, and you're kissing him on the very first date?" her mother gasped, ruining Kagome's blissful moment.

"Mom…it's the twenty-first century. It's not like I'm sleeping with him yet," she said, adding the last bit for her own amusement to watch her mother's reaction.

"What? Kagome, this is not the behavior you should be displaying! I don't want my daughter becoming some STD-ridden teen!" she reprimanded. She just didn't understand what to do with her daughter at this point. She had seemed so different over the past few weeks.

"Mom, chill; I was just kidding about the last part… Wait, no—that doesn't sound right. I only said the last part to see how much you'd overreact," Kagome explained with a subtle roll of her eyes, unable to comprehend why her mother was so freaked about her having a date and kissing someone.

'_Maybe she wants me to be a nun,' _Kagome mused to herself, almost wanting to laugh, but refraining as to not upset her mother any further. She didn't feel like listening to a long, nagging speech or getting in trouble because her mother thought she was mocking her and laughing in her face.

"You're starting to show some very bad characteristics, Kagome. And I want to see an end to it," she scolded once more before walking away from her daughter and disappearing to the upstairs.

Kagome rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, her fingers stroking through the soft tresses. She wasn't going to let her mother completely take away the "afterglow". The brunette bit her lower lip, one of her many mindless habits, in thought.

Making her way upstairs, she walked into her bedroom and shut her door behind her lightly before flopping down on her bed, not bothering to remove her dress.

Her eyes closed as she suddenly felt tired; her mind wandered in her lulled state. Tonight was one of the times she had gotten a chance to have a normal conversation with someone other than Eri, Ayumi, or Yuka. Though even those three would talk about the same things and could be superficial.

With Inuyasha, on the other hand…the conversations felt real, and he seemed truly interested in what she had to say and wouldn't judge her.

She smiled at the thought and began to wonder what they would do next. From the way the night played out, she assumed he wanted a second date with her, something that she wouldn't have minded in the slightest. The food was perfect, their chemistry was perfect, and the goodnight kiss was even perfect.

Her blush returned, remembering the kiss they shared. It had been her first open-mouth kiss and hopefully wouldn't be the last. She wanted to giggle like a young schoolgirl, but held it in.

Before she knew it, she was fast asleep in her dress as she was sprawled out on the plush sheets of her bed.

—_**xxxxx**_—

He walked down the sidewalk of his neighborhood, looking around at the surroundings. The streetlights flickering—a few broken—pieces of litter being carried down the gutters and out of alleyways.

Why did his night have to end with such depressing sights?

He heard yelling from an apartment above that had the window open. A man and a woman were in an obvious dispute. He heard a slew of curses and derogatory remarks fly from the window, followed by a loud sound that echoed down to the sidewalk. Unmistakably, the sound of a hand hitting someone's cheek.

Inuyasha closed his eyes for a second, trying to block it out. He didn't want anything to further ruin the mood he was in.

That mood being, for the first time in years, a _good_ one… He could almost call it happiness if he didn't know any better. The steel-eyed teen smiled a bit to himself, wondering if he actually had a shot with Kagome. Wondering if all his doubts were a lie. The thought of the two of them actually being an official couple was enough to make him grin wider.

Inuyasha walked into the apartment building and headed up the stairwell leisurely. He meandered down the corridor of the complex, humming softly to himself. He stopped as he spied his door slightly ajar; his eyes narrowed, and he reached into his pocket, grabbing the switchblade he carried for protection.

Cautiously, the male inched towards the slightly parted door and he nudged it open. He didn't see anyone immediately and vigilantly stepped into the apartment.

'_Maybe it was just a robbery…'_ he silently found himself hoping. Not wanting it to be the man he dreaded.

He shut the door behind him with a soft _click_. Looking around, he didn't see anything in disarray, but kept a watchful eye out for any sudden movements or anything out of place. _'Please…'_

"Who's in here?" he called out demandingly.

Not hearing a response, he looked towards the small hallway inside and walked towards it. He peered down the left and the right and decided to venture towards his bedroom. He pushed open the door, looked inside of the dark room, and didn't see anyone. Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head at his paranoia. He then turned around and nearly had a heart attack.

Naraku.

The older male was standing right behind him, a angry scowl plastered to his face as usual. "Where have you been?" he asked hurriedly, his eyes looking down at Inuyasha's blade which was still out.

"Naraku… I… Sorry. I didn't know you'd need me to do anything," he tried to explain, putting the blade back down and lightly dropping it in his pocket. _'Why now?'_ he thought in dread, hoping that his punishment wouldn't be too severe.

"Oh, really? Is that why you didn't come by to even check? I did have something for you to do, Inuyasha. In fact, I had multiple things for you to do. Now, what were you doing that was so fucking important that you blew off your own gang? That you blew off me? Huh?" Naraku questioned him, growing angrier with each passing second.

Inuyasha felt his heartbeat hasten as he watched the older male clench his fists. He didn't know how to explain his absence. He searched his mind quickly for an excuse, any excuse. "I was working on a school project," he lied through his teeth.

"Bullshit!" Naraku yelled, grabbing Inuyasha by the collar of his shirt and pulling him into the living room where they had more room. Naraku pushed him away, causing Inuyasha to stumble and stare at him, wide-eyed.

"You want to know how I know you're a fucking lying bastard?" the older male nearly growled through gritted teeth. "Because I asked you yesterday if you had any upcoming school projects—I always ask you that so I'll know when you'll be busy. And you told me no. That's right: you told me no! Now what the fuck where you doing? And don't you dare fucking lie—you don't dress the way you are for a fucking school project!" he lashed out, his hands clenched into fists.

Inuyasha already knew what was coming, and if he didn't tell the truth, it'd only be a hundred times worse. "I was with a girl…"

"A girl? A girl? You were with a fucking girl?" Naraku shouted, a vein on the side of his neck protruding in his rage. "You ditched all of us for a little bit of pussy? When did you finally grow a pair of balls to do that, huh?"

Inuyasha gulped and looked straight at the elder. "Naraku, it wasn't like that. I wasn't out having sex with her… It was just a date!"

"Oh, a date, you say? And what whore are you interested in, Inuyasha? Tell me, I'm pretty sure I and the other men have fucked her already. What's her name?" Naraku harassed.

Inuyasha felt himself grow angrier. "Shut up! She's not like that…" As soon as the first two words left his lips, he regretted it. "No… Naraku, I didn't mean that. I-I didn't mean to say shut up. It's just… I'm sorry! I'll check with you first."

Naraku's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Inuyasha…the word sorry just doesn't cut it this time—it didn't cut it last time, and it will never cut it. You've been disrespectful, and you have to pay the price. I've been generous to you! But you've abused it. So, trust me, you _are _going to pay. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be a pathetic piece of orphan shit that will never amount to anything!"

Inuyasha was silent; he didn't know what to say back. He could only listen while his anger boiled inside of him.

"Maybe that's the reason your father was said to have died like a little bitch, huh? He couldn't stand coming home to such a disgrace of a son. It was me, Inuyasha, who brought you into the gang. Gave you clothes, food, a place to stay, women to fuck, though you don't take advantage of that last part…and this is how you repay me?"

Inuyasha felt more than rage build inside of him from the way Naraku talked about his father, but he couldn't move—he couldn't speak. His breath was caught in his throat, and he couldn't make a sound. He didn't dare strike out at Naraku. The older male would sooner have his head put on a spike.

"Inuyasha, you're never going to be anything more than a thug, a stupid and worthless thug. You need me, and you need the gang. If you didn't have us, where would you be, huh? Nowhere. And that's where you'd stay." Naraku grinned, seeing his words work against Inuyasha as he mocked him. He kept bringing the teen down as much as he could.

Every word cut deeper into the teen. He felt his mind torn in two ways as if he was going to break down any second. He didn't know whether or not it was a feeling to scream in anger or even cry from the emotions the mention of his father brought. But he couldn't cry; he hardly ever did alone and wouldn't dare to do it front of Naraku.

It was all true—he was nothing. He would amount to nothing. He was nothing but a so-called "pussy" and a worthless thug. How he felt at that moment only proved those things to him further. He looked at Naraku, a mix of emotions on his face, but still unable to defend himself.

"Are you going to cry, Inuyasha? You're just like a fucking woman, I swear. Useless. You aren't even standing up for yourself, you're so pathetic. I bet, if I wanted to, I could tell you to get on your knees and suck a cock, no matter who it belonged to. You know what? I am also willing to bet money you'd do it. But I won't do that, and I never will. Because you're worth shit on your own," the older male darkly laughed, aiming to break the teen down mentally even further.

"It's that sad. I don't even have to humiliate you for others to see. Everyone already knows it. And everyone always will," Naraku sneered, his eyes narrowed and his fists still clenched.

Inuyasha looked down at the floor, unable to respond, let alone think anymore. He held back his emotions as much as he could. He didn't understand why he couldn't protect himself from Naraku's constant slew of hurtful and, to him, truthful words. They stabbed him like a red-hot blade that pierced his skin slowly, sinking into his heart, his stomach, his throat, and his lungs.

He knew he couldn't attack Naraku physically, but he could have at least verbally defended himself… Only thing was, he couldn't find the strength. Not knowing what words would set the man who raised him off.

He noticed as Naraku began to walk away, amazed he wasn't going to beat him. But then Inuyasha realized that the words were more than enough. He found himself wishing Naraku would have hit him repeatedly instead.

"I bet your father would be ashamed to call you his son," Naraku said, crisp and clear and with a grin for Inuyasha to hear as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

The teen stood where he was for an unknown amount of time. Everything around him seemed to blur. He felt a single, warm tear run down his cheek, and he wiped it away in disgust. He was truly pathetic in his own eyes. His father had been gone since he was eleven. Eight years, and he was still acting like a child over it.

He looked towards his apartment door and walked over, locking it with the strength he somehow managed to muster to move. He walked back towards his room, his mind cluttered with Naraku's words. Each one replayed itself in his thoughts.

Still, despite the berating thoughts he had about himself, he felt a lump grow in his throat.

Naraku was right. His father would be ashamed. His mother, even though he never knew her, would be ashamed. He, himself, was ashamed.

Inuyasha trudged himself back to his room and sat down on his bed, staring emptily at the barren wall across from him. The teen felt void inside.

He could act as tough as he wanted to at school to make his peers leave him be. He could make the surrounding students tremble from his false intimidation. Yet when it came to the _real_ thing with the _real _thugs, he wasn't nearly as tough it seemed. Sure, he could hold his ground a lot of the time, but not when it came down to the nitty-gritty.

A night that had been so perfect shortly before had come crashing down around him. His thoughts were almost too much for him to handle.

'_There's nothing I can do about it.'_ He sighed softly, slowly piecing himself back together. If he didn't keep himself in check, he didn't know what would happen.

The teen laid back on his bed, closing his eyes, letting sleep be his escape.

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><p><strong>Alright then…Sorry that this chapter was short! D: But I hope you enjoyed it regardless, let me know in a review please! ^_^<strong>

**Until next time~ The next update will be up in a week as usual.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you again to those of you who have reviewed! ^_^ I want you all to know I am working on Quite a Workout since that was the most popular on the polls (Though I think that may be because of the dog joke XD) But regardless! Keep an eye out for that.**

**^_^ Subscribe!**

**Now, without further ado, here is chapter twelve of Renegade! Please enjoy and review! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do **_**not**_** own Inuyasha for the 934828th time.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 12~<strong>_

Kagome began to feel worried. It was nearly the end of the school day, and she had yet to see Inuyasha. Not to mention she was still getting bombarded with questions.

"_Did you two break up already?"_

"_Did you sleep with him, Kagome?"_

"_What's wrong in your head?"_

"_So, you left us for the likes of him?"_

She shook her head at the reminder at what the _start_ of her day was like and didn't want to recall how the rest had been going. She sighed, hugging her English book to her chest, and continued walking down the lonely corridor. _'Where could he be?'_ she wondered quietly, disheartened by his absence.

As she reached the door to the last class of her long and annoying day, she felt a small flicker of hope spark inside of her. Maybe he was in class…but why would he have avoided her all day and not show? Even at lunch, he hadn't been around.

She was being a fool, wasn't she? Why would he be in their English class and skip every other class of the day?

The young brunette took a deep breath, opened the door to her classroom, and felt the small bit of hope die, not seeing his face among the many that turned and looked at her.

"_Where's Inuyasha?"_

"_Think they broke up already?"_

"_Where they ever even really together?"_

She heard the numerous whispers, but ignored them. It irritated her that she and Inuyasha were still the talk of the town, and she couldn't deal with the rumors right then and there. The brunette quickly took her seat right as the bell rang. Her teacher immediately began the lesson, but she just couldn't focus as her eyes every so often wandered over to the void desk beside her.

Where was he?

—_**xxxxx**_—

After the school day ended, Kagome decided to re-attend some of her student council meetings. Discussing up and coming plans for the seniors and juniors as well as talking about how to help the sophomores and freshmen have a better time during their first years.

"Alright, meeting adjourned; I think we got enough accomplished for one day."

Those words were music to Kagome's ears. She immediately began packing up her things to leave her once-upon-a-time friends behind.

"Hey…Kagome. We want to talk to you," came a familiar voice. To her surprise, it was Ayumi.

Kagome's chestnut orbs looked at her ex-friend, and she quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?" she sighed, not really wanting to hear more begging for her to go back to their group.

"I was just going to say, sorry that we aren't friends anymore… We get the point now. You don't want to be bothered with us, so we won't bother you anymore. I think I kinda speak for a lot of people when I say that it _is_ weird to not have you around, but at the same time…you want us to change who we are because of your boyfriend," the other teen said, looking down at the floor, her words sounding unsure. Ayumi then turned back to glance at her boyfriend, who sat back with his arms crossed, before turning back around to Kagome, trying her best to look sure of their decision.

Kagome couldn't believe her ears. She wasn't angry anymore, but more so put off by the fact that they were trying to turn it all around on _her_. As if _she_ was the one who did something wrong. "I can't believe you, Ayumi. You were the last person I would have expected," she said, cutting the other off before she was able to start her next sentence. "You all want me to be a mean person, and that's not what I'm going to be. You know what? I hate that it's taken this long for me to realize that I've been wasting time with you all."

The entire group that were busy agreeing with and backing Ayumi up all stood wide-eyed, not expecting Kagome's sudden backlash.

"And you want to know something else? Inuyasha, he's actually a better person than any of you will _ever_ be. You say I don't want to be bothered with you, and now can you understand why? Listen to yourselves! You're all bastards. Why would I want to keep on associating myself with you?" she nearly yelled, tucking some of her hair behind her ear as she brought the strap of her messenger bag around her shoulders.

If she had any doubts about whether or not casting her friends out was the right idea, they were now erased. It truly clicked that the group wasn't even willing to _attempt_ to be more accepting.

"Kagome, we—"

"No, no more fucking excuses! I can't expect change from any of you, and I don't. It's one of those things in life that's impossible…like slamming a revolving door. So, instead of waiting around for you all to realize how childish you act and what a waste of time it is for you all to hate someone based on their appearance, I'm going to change _myself_. It'll all be for the better anyway. I'm changing myself by not hanging around you all any longer."

Not giving any of them a chance to respond, Kagome turned and left the classroom they were all in. Leaving twelve taken-aback people in her wake.

She felt a soft lump form in her throat and her eyes lightly begin to sting with tears of frustration. She wiped her eyes and let out a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down. _'Forget it… They'll never change. But I can,'_ she vowed in her head.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Kagome sighed as she walked up her driveway. In some ways, she felt relieved about what had happened, the more she thought about it. If her "friends" were going to ban her and shy away from her for _not_ being a cruel bitch, then how much of friends were they really? She even asked herself if they were really the type of people she wanted to be associated with, and the answer was no. A big no.

She let herself inside of her house and called out for her mom, expecting her to be there since it was past five. Her brows furrowed, and she called out once more, waiting for a reply.

No response.

She figured her mother must have been running late and decided to go upstairs to change.

As she changed her clothing, her mind was a ping-pong ball being bounced between two paddles, one being Ayumi and the others, and the second paddle being Inuyasha. She figured the prior would worry her less to think about, though she still wish she didn't have to.

After switching into some comfortable pajamas, she descended the steps back downstairs and walked into her kitchen. The brunette's destination was the fridge. Before she opened it, she noticed a lone note stuck to the door by a magnet; it read:

_A friend needed my help to sort out some stuff. I might not be back until late. If so, don't wait up, and go to sleep at a reasonable hour!_

Kagome rolled her eyes and crumpled up the paper, tossing it into the garbage. She yawned and stretched then opened the fridge door, her eyes searching for something munch on, though her mind was unfortunately still very on her ex-friends. Mostly, she was wondering why it had taken her so long to realize she didn't need to be hanging out with them. Shrugging, she grabbed the jug of milk and set it on the counter, getting hungrier by the second.

'_I need a distraction,'_ she thought with a frustrated groan.

As she was reaching over the counter to reach the cabinet that contained the cereal boxes, she heard a knock at the front door. She furrowed her brows and headed over.

"I wonder who that could be," she thought out loud. _'Hah, I just said I needed a distraction.'_ She smiled a bit, finding the irony humorous.

As she opened the front door, her eyes widened, and a smile grew on her face. "Inuyasha!"

He was clad in dark blue denim jeans and an oversized, black sweatshirt, a morose look on his face. "Hey, Kagome," he said, forcing a smile, and hugged her.

She didn't seem to particularly notice his glum expression in the midst of her surprise, hugging him back. "I was wondering where you were," she began to say.

"I just had some things that had to be done," he responded, cutting her off, leaving out that he had been sent on drug runs to both receive and deliver all day by Naraku and having no option but to do them. "I had wanted to see if you were home yet, 'cause I remember you saying you had a meeting or something today. Glad I decided to stop by now, though."

Kagome nodded and pulled back, giving him a kiss on his lips. Inuyasha smiled a bit more, feeling his previous sullen emotions dissipate with the warmth he felt filling him from her kiss. His arms wrapped around her tighter as he pulled her closer to his body.

Lightly nipping at his lower lip, Kagome grabbed his sweatshirt gently and tugged as if to tell him to come in.

He caught on and obliged, shutting the door behind them, all the while not breaking their kiss. His tongue slipped out to delicately tease the gentle curve of her lower lip, a smirk pulling at the corners of each of their mouths.

Inuyasha broke the kiss a bit and huskily whispered against Kagome's lips, "I'm just going to assume that your mother isn't here?"

Kagome pulled Inuyasha towards the living room, a slight blush on her cheeks. She was still flustered by their open-mouth kisses and the looks in his eyes, her smirk growing more.

He followed, taking it as a yes. His grey eyes looked around the place again; though he was semi-familiar with it from the previous times, it still felt surreal to him to be invited into such a nice place. Kagome sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. He smiled and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist again and pressing their lips together.

She swung her legs carefully around, now practically in his lap. Her fingers gently ran through his thick, silky hair. Kagome relaxed into the kiss, her digits twisting in his locks. She liked the feeling of the tresses between her fingers and playfully tugged on it, causing him to make a light groan sound back.

Kagome laughed a bit, the thoughts of her used-to-be friends disappearing entirely. She felt happy with him, one of the first times she had been in a long time, she realized.

Their tongues intertwined and danced as they each gently explored each other's mouths. Soft moans coming from each of them.

Inuyasha felt his body grow hot and broke their kiss for a small second to toss off his sweatshirt. Kagome's eyes grew a bit wide, and she looked at him. "What are you doing?" she asked, curious and a bit skeptical.

"Sorry… It's nothing like that. I just felt hot," he explained, not wanting her to think that he was looking for more.

"Oh, okay," she replied softly, leaning back in. She wasn't fully complaining, as now her soft fingers were able to run across his strong arms. Her digits moved along his arms and to his strong chest, causing her to blush again. As she felt her cheeks grow hotter, she inwardly cursed. She always got flustered around guys that she liked, but never like this.

She let out a light squeak as they switched positions. He carefully laid her on her back against the plush couch cushions; this wasn't helping her pink cheeks.

Inuyasha looked down at her and smiled. "You're kinda cute when you blush, princess."

The young brunette playfully narrowed her eyes back at both the teasing and the nickname. "Kinda? What about all the other times?"

He smirked a bit, letting her know a smart-assed response was on its way. "Meh, you do okay."

She laughed softly and felt his lips upon hers again. Their chests pressed together, and her arms went around his shoulders while one of his hands was placed on the gentle curve of her waist.

Inuyasha trailed his lips down Kagome's jaw down to the slope of her neck. He bit at her skin carefully, his tongue quickly flicking over the small rosy marks he left behind. He heard her sigh pleasantly as he began sucking in different places on her neck, switching sides, making sure to not leave any marks behind that wouldn't disappear after a few minutes.

His heart began to race, having never gotten this intimate with a girl before. He smiled, happy to hear that she was enjoying it and wasn't put off.

Her fingers lazily stroked through his raven locks, her eyes half-shut and her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She relaxed more against his body, letting out another quiet gasp, having never experienced anything like it, either.

_Click_.

"Kagome!" they both heard from a shocked voice.

In their surprise, they sat up quickly to discover Kagome's mother standing behind the couch, wide-eyed with her jaw dropped.

'_Shit,'_ Kagome thought, her eyes just as wide.

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><p><strong>I think I'll leave it there for now XD I hope you all liked it. I decided to make this chapter a bit lighter since last chapter was a bit rough for Inuyasha xD;; Anywho I hope to see a lot of reviews. ^_^ Let me know what you think so far!<strong>

**Next update will be in a week as usual.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello once again! ^_^ Well thank you to all who reviewed chapter 12! It seems like a lot of you liked it, which I'm happy for. So I hope you guys all enjoy and review this chapter as well. ^_^**

**Also I'm so sorry this is late! I've been so busy and TIRED lately. =.= I won't blame you if you want to shank me. (Also sorry this chapter is short. DX )**

**Disclaimer: …Do I have to disclaim every chapter? I mean it's obvious I don't own the series…**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 13~<strong>_

Kagome stared, frozen in shock and a slight twinge of fear. Her heart was pounding, making it impossible for her brain to focus. "M-Mom… I thought you weren't going to be home until late…"

"My friend didn't need my help after all; even so, young lady! You're bringing hoodlums into my house and…and… I don't even want to _know_ where you two were headed. Young man, get out of my house!" her mother shouted, her expression showing just how aghast she was.

Inuyasha quickly sprang up off the couch, feeling a slight sting of irritation from being called a hoodlum when Kagome's mother didn't even know him. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect your house. Please don't blame Kagome; it was my—"

"I don't want to hear any excuses! Get out!" she yelled again.

Kagome had never seen her mother this angry. Her guardian's face had begun to turn red—it wouldn't have surprised the teen if her mother was about to have a conniption.

"Mom, please, calm down!" Kagome pleaded, not wanting to see Inuyasha kicked out of her house.

"I will not calm down!" she berated. She looked at her uninvited guest and pointed towards the door with such fury in her eyes, the teen knew there would be no way of talking his way out of this one.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome apologetically and swiped up his sweatshirt. "Kagome, I'm sorry. I'll talk to you lat—"

He was cut off again by her mother. "Talk? You're not allowed to even see my daughter anymore! I will not have her under your influence! I understand you two are English partners…and if I can help it, that's going to be changing very soon!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He didn't know Kagome's mother could be like this. He saw his new girlfriend stand up and begin pleading with her mother, trying to get her to calm down and listen to her.

"Enough!" her mother scolded in a tone that stopped Inuyasha and Kagome both in their tracks. "Get out of my house, young man."

She stared Inuyasha down, and he took a quick glance at Kagome, who looked as if she was near tears. She gave him a quick nod, silently telling him to do as her mother said and leave.

He sighed and took off, quietly shutting the door behind him. He didn't want to leave her, especially with her mother being the way she was. He didn't want Kagome taking the blame because he was a burden on society that was poisoning her daughter's mind. The teen felt consumed by guilt and couldn't help but feel it was entirely his fault.

'_Why did I have to stop by?'_ he silently questioned, wanting to slap himself.

He threw his sweatshirt back on and shoved his face in his hands. "Stupid… Stupid… You're so stupid," he continued to repeat to himself as he left Kagome's property, headed for the bus stop down the street. He would have to talk to her the next day at school and find a way to apologize properly.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Meanwhile, Kagome was just getting to the worse of it with her mother. She had gone up to her room and slammed the door behind her, only to have her mother barge in right after. "You didn't have to kick him out! He did nothing wrong!" Kagome shouted, wanting to rip her hair out from frustration.

"Young lady! I don't know what's been going on with you lately. You never used to act like this. What happened to my sweet, little girl?" her mom asked, still in shock over what she had just witnessed.

"She's grown up! You can't treat me like an eight year old, mother! I'm going to have boyfriends. I'm going to make out with them! Hell, when it gets there, I'm even going to be having _sex_ with them! Deal with the fact that I'm going to be an adult," she tried to reason, though she knew it wouldn't work since she was shouting it. "It's not me who's changing for the worse. It's you who can't accept that I'm not a mindless drone anymore!" Kagome defiantly yelled back at her mother in her defense.

Kagome's mother placed her hand in the center of her chest, aghast at Kagome's quick words, especially about having sex. "Kagome Higurashi! What would your father say if he heard this coming from you?"

"He can't say anything, Mom—he's dead! And he's been dead since I was seven, so stop pulling that damn card out on me all the time. It's not going to work anymore! You just kicked out my boyfriend simply because we were making out on the couch!"

"I'm not pulling any card! I just want you to think about what you're doing. I kicked him out because you hardly know him! Excuse a mother for being concerned, and don't you _dare_ use that kind of language with me, young lady!"

"I'm eighteen, Mom! I'm already technically an adult! I should be allowed to say damn, especially when I'm this angry! I know him better than you seem to know me, and I think that should be saying something! I know quite a bit about Inuyasha; we talk a lot. He's not like the normal rich snobs that I've been hanging out with since I was five," Kagome argued. She was shaking as her emotions poured out of her. She was angry and, dammit, she had a right to be.

"You're just young, and you're going through the 'I want a bad boy type' phase. You'll get over it soon. You don't know what you like," her mother said back, clearly in denial over her daughter's choices.

"When are you going to realize that not everything that I say or do that you don't like is _not_ a phase? Let me grow up. If you think I'm making a mistake, then let me make my mistake. If you baby me for the rest of my life, I'm never going to learn to walk on my own; you'll only cripple me," the young teen tried to further explain and calm the argument down to get her mother to listen.

It wasn't working, though. Her mom was just too stubborn.

"I'm not babying you! I'm being a caring mother. But I don't want you becoming a part of a gang or some other criminal organization!"

"Oh my— Mom! He's not even a 'bad boy'. Sure, he looks that way sometimes, but guess what? Looks are deceiving! He's smart and he's gifted. He writes poems, he draws extremely well, he's literate, and he gets straight A's and B's. Some of his grades are better than _mine_."

"Kagome, all that can be a façade," her mother brushed off. "He's probably bullying someone into doing his work."

The younger brunette looked at her mother in disbelief. "You're unbelievable. You just don't like the fact that soon I'll be out on my own and can do whatever I want when I want without you dictating when and what I do. You _hate_ the fact that you won't know every move I'm making. Admit it!" Kagome said, trying to pry the truth out of her mother.

Never in a thousand years did she think she'd ever talk to her parent this way, but she couldn't help it. It seemed that the once perfect glass world she thought she knew had since begun cracking and smashing into small, bite-sized pieces to reveal ugly and worn plastic that had been disguised as something beautiful.

Her ex-posse was fake. Her mother was controlling and no better than the "friends" she left behind. Kagome didn't want to know what else may be deceptive in her life. Nor did she think she could handle finding out anymore truths.

"Kagome, it is not like that. I just don't want to see you throw your life away for a little 'fun'."

"Whoever said I was throwing my life away?" Kagome said loudly, letting out a frustrated sigh afterwards.

"No one did, but keep going down the path you're going, and no one will have to say it," her mother replied, turning and walking out of the room before she had a heart attack from the yelling and anger between her and her daughter.

Kagome slammed her door shut again and, this time, locked it. She slumped against the wood and brought her knees to her chest. She felt as if every single person she knew was against the relationship that she had just started and for no other reason than because Inuyasha wasn't brought up in luxury. She didn't understand why people would hate her and shun her for _dating_ someone who wasn't spic and span perfect. No one was perfect, not even her.

She had to see Inuyasha the next day—she just hoped he wouldn't skip school and that he still wanted to speak to her. _'I wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to see me, though…'_ she quietly thought to herself.

As her thoughts progressed, so did the tears she had once held in. The leftover emotions flowed in the form of small, wet droplets that silently streamed down her cheeks, staining them. Her eyes became irritated and red, and she sniffled softly. Staring blankly ahead. She looked at her floor-length mirror that was across from her. In it, she saw a new self.

Not the stuffy, stick-up-her-ass, old Kagome that went with the crowd. Not the Kagome who decided to turn the other way to avoid conflict and hope the problem would go away on its own. No, what she saw was the Kagome that had a new understanding of people in general and in her life. She knew which ones to beat herself up over and which ones not to. Which ones she wanted around her and which ones she only wanted around her sometimes, others being not at all. It'd be hard, but it'd be better than going on continuing friendships with people who couldn't give a crap less about other people besides themselves if they tried.

She saw the black streams caused by her mascara and eyeliner grow more down her cheeks, and the only thing she could wish for in that moment was to have Inuyasha by her side, holding her. It may have been a relationship that had just gotten started, but somehow, she only wanted him and wanted him close. She felt safe around him, not scared as others told her she should be or should have been. She knew she could talk to him without him judging her for not being pristine and perfect.

But now, he was nowhere in her proximity as he had been driven away by her mother. Kagome closed her eyes and rested her head against her arms, which were draped over the tops of her knees that were still drawn close to her chest.

She felt physically tired, mentally drained, and emotionally spent. Not able to muster up the strength to move, she remained where she was and as she was for a long time. She let time pass by, not knowing or caring how long she had stayed in front of her door.

The young brunette was sure she had fallen asleep while in her current position and decided it was time to move. She stood and stretched, rubbing her tired eyes, which ached from the tears that had lulled her into her sleep. She looked at her clock which read: _7:00PM_. It was barely seven, and she was still dead tired.

She didn't want to go downstairs and risk facing her mother for a second time that night, though she wasn't particularly hungry for dinner anyway.

The sleepy teen padded over to her bed and crawled into it. She bundled the fluffed blankets over her pj-clad form and let her eyes close again as she quickly fell back into an uneasy sleep, still holding out hope that Inuyasha wouldn't be too angry about what happened.

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><p><strong>And that does it for this chapter. ^_^;;; I know, I'm sorry things can't last very long without someone becoming depressed. But I hope you enjoy the story regardless! Anyway, please let me know what you think ^_^<strong>

**As always the next update will be up in a week.**

**NOTE: Quite a Workout will be posted by Wednesday or Thursday so keep an eye out for that! ^_^**


	14. Chapter 14

**Once again, hello there. :3 I hope you all enjoy this chapter as with the chapters to come and thank you to those who reviewed last chapter. So, without further ado onto chapter fourteen!**

**Disclaimer: …Look at the last 13 chapters for my response. =.=**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 14~<strong>_

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

The incessant buzzing of her alarm clock brought Kagome from her less than peaceful slumber. She still felt drained and tired from the previous evening, enough so that she hardly wanted to get out of bed. She sighed and swung her legs off of the mattress and sat up. Her fingers ran through her hair, and she shook her head in an attempt to wake herself up.

The brunette stood and shut off her beeping clock, glancing at the screen. She had more than enough time to get ready, but all she wanted to do was sleep more. Then she snapped out of her drowsy state. _Inuyasha_. She had to see him, talk to him, and apologize—she just hoped that he'd be willing after the hurtful things her mother had said to his face.

She quickly grabbed some clothes from her closet and hurried into the bathroom. She hastily took her shower, brushed her teeth, and put on her normal amount of minimal makeup afterwards. She fit on a pair of black jogging pants, not in the mood for anything fancy or flashy, then threw on a plain, form-fitting, white t-shirt and a black jacket that went with the pants.

The teen picked up her messenger bag and headed out the door, passing by her mother without saying a word. She didn't want to stick around for anything her parent might have to say to her; she just didn't want to hear it at the moment.

Kagome rushed to the bus stop just in time to catch the early vehicle. As she got on and flashed her bus pass, she thought about how much easier it'd be if her mother had two cars instead of one. That was going to be her next goal, she decided. That way she could leave when she pleased and wouldn't have to ask for permission to use the car.

'_That's probably why she didn't get me a car like she said she would… All she wants is control over me. I hate it!'_ she silently thought to herself, crossing her arms.

The bus ride was over shortly before she knew it. Everything so far had seemed to be happening at break-neck speed… She got off and walked to the front of her school, looking around for the usually elusive teen by the steps. She checked her cell phone and noticed that there was still twenty minutes until the bell for class actually rang.

It didn't take long until she saw who she wanted to see. With a smile, she practically ran over to him and greeted him with a long kiss. Inuyasha's eyebrows rose at her enthusiasm, and he kissed back, quickly relaxing, relieved that she wasn't abiding by her mother's orders to never see him again.

He pulled back and tucked a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear. "You look like you slept well," he said playfully, a slightly sad look still on his face.

"Oh, yeah; totally. An image of beauty right here…" she laughed softly, sensing his inner tension.

"I think so," he quietly replied, leaning down and giving her a soft peck to her lips again. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I didn't mean to—"

Kagome cut him off before he could finish. "Don't. It's not your fault, and it's not mine. But I'm sorry my mom said those things to you…"

"She didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"Shut up! She did say things that weren't true. But she's going to be watching me like a hawk when she can. Meaning we can't go to my place anymore—no doubt she'll have the neighbors on their toes…"

Inuyasha sighed and looked off to the side, still feeling as if he was the one to blame. "We have one more project for Macbeth…" he reminded her.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah…then we won't be partners anymore. I don't think she'll hesitate to call the school and tell my teacher to not pair us together after this. We'll have to go to your apartment instead," she insisted.

His steel eyes looked at her in a slight panic. "Uhm… No; let's not. Not right now. We can go the library or even the park," he said with a small reassuring smile. "It'll be better there…and it can be sort of a date." He shrugged.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. She didn't know why he was so adamant about keeping her away from his apartment. Maybe it was the neighborhood, or maybe he had another girlfriend who lived with him. She sighed and agreed, not wanting to argue over it at this point and hoping that the latter thought wasn't true. "One day, I'm going to have to come over…"

Inuyasha looked off, knowing she was right. "One day… Just not right now, okay?"

Kagome nodded and hugged him. She felt him tense against her, and she looked up at him, seeing where his attention was turned. Her ex-friends were heading up the steps of the school, a few giving her snooty looks, others glaring, and a few avoiding eye contact all together.

She rolled her eyes and tipped her head up to Inuyasha's drawing him into another kiss before grabbing his hand in hers and leading him up the steps shortly after her ex-posse.

—_**xxxxx**_—

It was after school; the day was nice despite the weather being a bit on the chilly side. The sun was shining, accompanied in the sky by a few streaks of sparse clouds.

The young couple exited their school building after packing their backpacks with their homework. "So, did you want to go to the park now?" Inuyasha asked curiously, not wanting to head back to his home yet.

Kagome quickly nodded, having the same unspoken feelings about heading back to her own house. She grabbed his hand and walked with him down the street, opting for an easy walk rather than to be crammed on a bus right after school.

"What do you think it'd take for your mom to like me?" the gray eyed teen finally asked, breaking their small silence, his eyes glued to the concrete.

"For you to be the complete opposite of who you are," Kagome bluntly responded, rolling her eyes at the thought of her mother. She didn't know why Inuyasha would choose to pick her as a topic with what had happened.

"So, a rich douchebag?" he laughed, hoping to get at least a chuckle out of the woman beside him.

"Don't forget stupid," she added with a smile.

Inuyasha smirked back and drew her closer, placing his arm over her shoulder instead. Smiling, Kagome leaned in closer to him. "You know…it's funny how people turn on you," she softly said with a sigh.

His steel eyes looked down at her as they walked. _'You have no idea…'_ he thought to himself, remembering all the attacks he had been the victim of just because his gang members didn't like him trying to be the good guy. Especially Naraku since he would also talk down to him, hitting his most vulnerable emotional points.

"Yeah," he replied out loud. "You just have to ignore it and move on, I guess." He shrugged.

Kagome huffed and nodded in agreement.

Soon, they reached the park. Multiple intersecting, cobblestone pathways framed different planes of grass, flowers, and trees. The park was fairly large, even having a playground on it off to the side. The two teens began down a path, heading for a small duck pond that was located in the center of the area.

"This place is beautiful in the fall, huh?" Kagome commented, looking up at Inuyasha who seemed to be looking around distractedly.

"Yeah…" he absentmindedly replied back.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, worried. Kagome stopped walking and stood in front of Inuyasha, her brows furrowed in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just looking around; that's all. I just haven't been here since I was a kid."

"Oh," she replied, grabbing his hand and leading him over to a nearby tree so they could sit down.

They both picked a spot on the ground and sat next to each other, Kagome leaning against Inuyasha's shoulder. "So, your parents took you here?"

"My dad did…" he said in a quiet voice, his eyes focused on the duck pond across from them. He sighed, remembering a day just a week before his father was killed. They had been in the park for what seemed like an entire day. Just father and son.

They had been testing out a model boat they had both built together, and it worked perfectly. Memories of that day came flooding back.

He was taken from his trance by the brunette beside him. "Inuyasha? Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Huh? Oh…I'm sorry, Kagome. I was just spacing. What did you say?" he asked, sincere in his apology to her. He didn't mean to tune her out. His chrome eyes were focused on her face as he completely invested his attention to her.

"It's okay. I had just asked how old you were the last time you were here and how come you never came back…" she trailed off.

"I was eleven. I didn't come back because…I couldn't. I never really wanted to, either, when I was younger," he quietly spoke, his eyes drifting towards the lake.

"Oh…" Kagome said, nibbling on her lower lip, not sure if she should press from the tone in his voice.

"I haven't really been truthful with you… Then again, I didn't really lie," he began with a quiet huff of breath.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding what he was getting at. She shifted and turned her body slightly towards him, listening closely.

"I think I left you under the impression that I emancipated myself from my parents… That's not really true. My mother died during labor, and my father…was…" He took a deep breath before continuing, still not making eye contact with her. "My father was killed when I was eleven."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Inuyasha…I'm sorry to hear. Why didn't you tell me before?" she asked quietly, truly feeling sympathy for him since she knew how it was to lose her own father. She moved closer to her lover and hugged him lightly.

He smiled a bit and hugged her back. "It's fine, you know… It happened a long time ago. And I didn't tell you because I didn't want you taking pity on me…"

"Just because it was a long time ago doesn't mean it can't still hurt…and I wouldn't feel pity. I feel sympathy…'cause I know how it feels. I lost my dad when I was seven to a car accident, so…" She shrugged. She felt his lips against hers and closed her eyes, kissing him back, smiling some.

"I'm sorry to hear that, too," he replied softly, shifting to get comfortable next to her. He looked down as Kagome absentmindedly poked at his thigh. "What are you doing?"

She furrowed her brows and looked at him. "What is that?"

Inuyasha knew what she was referencing. "…Don't worry about it."

Kagome huffed, being her stubborn self. "It's not drugs or anything is it?" she asked sternly, wanting to know what she had been poking in his side pocket.

"No, it's not a drug of any sort. Thanks for your confidence," he mumbled sarcastically. He knew she wasn't going to let up on her intense curiosity. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a small wooden handle.

He quickly flicked it open, revealing a sharp, stainless steel blade. Kagome's eyes widened, but he couldn't tell whether or not it was fear or surprise…or both. Inuyasha stayed silent, letting her quietly judge away.

Kagome took the blade from his hands and closed it, dropping it on the grass. "You carry that for protection?"

"It's easier and safer than carrying a gun on me… It's something that's necessary," he added, looking away from her. "Go ahead—run, call the cops, do whatever," he said, figuring she wanted nothing to do with him now that she knew he carried a blade on him.

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm not. It's fine. It was just a bit of a shock; that's all," she explained.

Inuyasha looked back at her with surprise. "It was a shock? I thought you would have figured I carry a weapon with me…"

"Well, I've tried to stop assuming things about you. Sorry about the drug comment… I've just heard rumors about what you do; that's all."

"Yet you still want to date me…" he said in a confused tone.

Kagome shrugged. "Everyone has their faults…and hopefully, you won't be doing this forever. I mean, don't get me wrong—I'm not saying I approve—but you're my boyfriend and also a really good friend in general."

"I'm sure I won't be doing it forever," he responded, though speaking more so to himself, leaning in and kissing her softly, picking his switchblade back up and putting it in his pocket once more.

Suddenly, they heard a voice from the side of them, one that was familiar and _very_ angry.

"Kagome! How could you betray my trust like this yet again?" To their shock, it was her mother, and she looked ready to explode.

The brunette shot up off the ground, breaking her kiss with Inuyasha, staring at her mother who was a few feet away. Inuyasha stood up between them, trying to defend Kagome.

"Miss Higurashi, please… I asked Kagome to come here with me. It wasn't her fault; I—"

"You stay out of this, young man! I don't ever want to see you near my daughter again! If I do, I'm calling the police! I'm lucky one of my coworkers saw Kagome here with you, otherwise who knows what could have happened to her!" she nearly screamed, grabbing Kagome by her arm.

"Mom! Stop it! Let me go!" Kagome yelled, pulling her arm from her mother's grasp.

"Kagome, you're coming home now! You and I are going to have a very long talk, and you're going to start listening to me!" her mother shouted back at her, grabbing her arm again pulling her away from Inuyasha.

He stood there in shock, his eyes wide, hardly knowing what had just happened. "Miss Higurashi, please!"

"Don't talk to me. I told you to stay away from Kagome! You're never seeing her again! Remember what I said. I _will_ call the cops next time and have you taken to jail where you belong!"

With that, she pushed Kagome off to their awaiting car, with Kagome yelling back at her to leave her be, but having no other option but to go with her mother.

Inuyasha stood behind, his fists clenched at his sides. A frustrated groan left his chest—he didn't know what to do.

'_Maybe I was right… There's no way we can ever last,' _he thought morosely to himself before grabbing up his backpack and heading back to his side of town.

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><p><strong>That does it for chapter 14, I'm sorry it was a bit short, but this is about as short as it'll get, the other's will be longer 95% of the time. ^_^;; So I hope you all enjoy!<strong>

**On a side note: **Maid For Seduction has been uploaded! So if you haven't read it yet and you're interested, please do so and let me know what you think! ^_^

**So thank you all who have reviewed Renegade so far, I hope you continue to do so ^_^ I appreciate them all and love seeing them! The next update will be on the 20th or the 21st!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you all who reviews, I'm sorry if I couldn't reply to your review right away or at all. **

**PART YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT: **Things have been CRAZY. School has started again, senior year! Woot woot! But yeah it's been hectic getting my summer work done and it not even being DUE YET KFJDSKLFJKLDS. XD Then getting my classes arranged and just….lost story.

**Anyway, sorry for the discretion. XD Without further ado here is Chapter fifteen of Renegade.**

**PLEASE READ! ****Warning: This chapter contains content that may make some readers uncomfortable: Precede at your own discretion. It is not my intent to upset anyone.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 15~<strong>_

Inuyasha stood there, alone in the park, dozens of eyes looking in his direction because of the scene that had just occurred.

He sighed and placed his head in his hands, letting out a heavy sigh. He was definitely never going to be able to see Kagome again. Not in public, anyway. There was no way her mother could keep her from him during the school hours. Was there?

He shook his head, wanting to kick himself for taking her somewhere so out in the open. _'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ _You're so stupid,'_ he repeated to himself as he left the area.

He hopped on the first bus he could and began heading back to his apartment.

'_I need a cell-phone,'_ he quietly realized.

It would be a way he and Kagome could stay in touch with one another without getting caught. Her mother wouldn't think of that. After all, he was just a poor hoodlum that couldn't hold down a job to her. Why would _he_ of all people own a phone?

'_Tomorrow…'_ he added the mental reminder.

He got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to his street. His attention turned to the neighborhood, and he looked at the empty streets between the apartment building. It was unusual for any of his gang members to be indoors, especially on a day like this. It would be perfect for getting people on the go with offers of drugs, alcohol, or even for getting revenge on someone else.

The teen looked towards Naraku's apartment building, figuring that's where everyone was, and headed towards it. In the back of his mind, he was still going over what had happened in the park. Kagome's mother had seemed so angry, and it was his fault for asking Kagome to come with him.

"How is it my fault she won't be less judgmental?" he softly mumbled to himself, trying to shrug off the guilt he felt, but couldn't help to hope that Kagome wasn't getting lectured to death.

As he was in the stairwell, he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and his thoughts shifted from the moment that had just occurred in the park, to what he heard. It was the unmistakable sound of laughter.

His fellow _gang members' _laughing.

He took a deep breath and continued up. He lightly knocked on the door to be greeted by one of the higher ups, who quickly pushed him in and shut and locked the door behind him.

The room was fairly dark, clouded with smoke and the thick scent of marijuana and alcohol.

The lights turned up slightly, and Inuyasha nearly vomited from what was a mere ten feet away from him. He closed his eyes away from the sight of a young woman on her back. She was being held down and in place firmly by three men while a few others were merrily having their way with her. It was clear to him that this woman was obviously not a willing participate.

"Hey there, Inuyasha. Came to join in?" Naraku asked, coming out of nowhere and throwing his arm around the younger male. His eyes were bloodshot, a clear sign he had been shooting up on some sort of drug, and his breath smelt foul of alcohol and cigarettes.

He felt his stomach churn from the delight in Naraku's voice. "Why…?"

Naraku cut him off before he could finish. "Because this— Look at her!" he shouted as he stopped mid-sentence, turning Inuyasha's chin towards the gruesome site and bringing him closer. "Because this is what happens when you're a woman in this gang and you decide it's okay to deal business with certain enemies of ours. Be thankful you're a man," he laughed darkly.

Inuyasha looked at the woman, her cheeks were stained from obvious tears that still forced their way from her clenched eyes. His gaze went from her face to her chest that looked as if she had been beaten and burned. Her thighs weren't any better, as he saw between them blood, both fresh and drying. He couldn't stand the sight. It further sickened him to have to watch as there was a man at either end of her; one holding her head while having his way with her mouth and the other having her legs spread open while he took advantage.

The three other men helped to hold her arms and legs apart. There were a few others off to the side, taking videos and pictures, more than likely for "insurance" in case she decided to try and run or turn them in. Though it was just as likely that they were taking them for their own sick and twisted enjoyments.

He wanted to puke again but held it off, preoccupied with trying to pull away from Naraku. A strong urge to try and help the woman came over him, but he was forced to stand there and witness more of the torture.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha? A little pussy make you uncomfortable? Oh…looks like her mouth is free again… Why don't you give it a go?" Naraku taunted, a sickening smirk on his face as he took a long gulp from the bottle in his hand.

The young teen shook his head, not wanting to have anything to do with this unless it was to stop it. "No!" he defiantly protested.

"Do it, Inuyasha. Go ahead. She's free, and she wants your cock in her mouth, don't you?" he shouted, aiming the end of the sentence towards the woman who couldn't have been more than twenty.

She screamed in pain, then shakily replied with a coarse "Yes…"

Naraku looked back at Inuyasha and took a swig of beer from the open bottle in his hand. "You heard the woman. Do it."

Inuyasha didn't know what to do; there was no way he could do this to another human being, not even if his life was being threatened. He pulled away from Naraku and shouted, "No! I won't," he spoke up, his eyes wide. He was slightly shaking—both from the need to throw up and the anxiety building inside of him.

Naraku laughed and looked at Inuyasha. "Well then, you're just going to watch how a real man does it, I suppose. Hold him," he ordered, and immediately a few other men grabbed Inuyasha, holding him where he was, forcing him to watch the brutal scene before him.

The woman's screams carried on for another half hour before the majority of the men had gotten their turn with her while Naraku sat back laughing, getting drunker by the second, and Inuyasha was forced to watch. Afterwards, Naraku threw her out of the apartment without a care, after she had "learned her lesson".

"So, Inuyasha… Next time, I'm not going to let you off so easy. Even if I have to force you to fuck some worthless bitch, you'll do what I say, got it?" Naraku said, slowly walking towards the teen and punching him hard enough in the stomach to knock the wind out of him.

Inuyasha coughed, falling to the ground and holding his abdomen. He nodded.

"Now get out of here—I don't have anything for you to do. It would have been better for you to have just gone home. Oh, and if you see that bitch, send her my regards," Naraku added with an evil grin.

The young teen stood unsteadily and scrambled out of the apartment, just wanting to get away from the cruel gang leader. He stopped himself in the hallway, supporting himself by the wall while he tried to catch his breath.

His vision blurred, and his head continued to spin; before long, he was vomiting. He couldn't contain it, and the bile came a second time. He felt disgusted and just as low as the men in the apartment. He huffed jaggedly and hurried down the steps, not wanting any of the other men, who he heard laughing some more with a mention of his name, to find him.

As he stepped outside, he saw the same woman who had been victimized sitting on the sidewalk, crying. Inuyasha walked over slowly and sat down next to her, hoping to comfort her at least a bit or help her get home.

Startled by his sudden presence, she flinched away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you," he replied quietly, looking at her, his hands up, showing that he didn't have anything.

Her eyes settled on him, and she forced a smile when she realized who he was. "Thank you…for not…" she began hoarsely, unable to finish her sentence as the smile disappeared and her tears started again.

Inuyasha felt uneasy and stood, realizing that he couldn't think of how to console her after something like that. Instead, he began helping the young woman to her feet. "I'll help you get home," he said, taking off his jacket and placing it over her shoulders to help cover her.

"Thank you… You're not like them, Inuyasha…" she quietly said, as they walked along the sidewalk.

He looked at the ground, sighing, "I'm worse—I didn't stop them…and I'm sorry."

She shook her head, tears still pouring from her lids. "No…it's not your fault. They would have just beaten you to a pulp and continued on… It's better it got out of the way faster rather than slower… You're better than them. You didn't…rape someone for something as small as selling drugs to someone who Naraku didn't like and not knowing. You shouldn't be around those fucks…"

He didn't know how to respond and continued walking with her in silence.

"We're here… Thanks again," she said, sobs still choking her softly, handing him back his jacket. "You're better than they are. You're tougher," she said with a smile.

Inuyasha only looked at her and nodded, not able to fully believe what she had said.

"You're welcome…" He watched as the woman disappeared inside her building, then closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down.

He hated not being able to have done anything but walk the woman home. He hated not stopping those men. He held his stomach, feeling a churning feeling again as the explicit details replayed in his head. How could he be tougher than them if he couldn't stop them?

His stomach was flipped, and his heart wasn't feeling much better as his mind tried to block out thoughts of the rape, and he tried to think of Kagome.

Though, instead of replacing the thoughts, his mind became occupied with both. Inuyasha had become so distracted with how bad the day had turned out to be he hadn't realized he walked himself home and laid down in his bed until he snapped out of his apparent trance.

The teen ran his hands through his hair, taking a deep breath. _'I can't be around these people anymore… I want to get out.'_ After his thought, he turned onto his side and closed his eyes, hoping to clear his head with some rest.

But it wouldn't come. No matter how badly he pleaded for the sleep to overtake him, it wouldn't.

—_**xxxxx**_—

It was a tense ride home for Kagome, on the other hand. Her mother's ranting went through one of her ears and out the other. She felt a tear run down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly. Her frustrations had built of inside of her beyond her control.

They pulled into their driveway, and Kagome got out of the car, slamming the car door behind her and letting herself in the house with her key, slamming that door behind her as hard as she possibly could have as well.

She heard her mother quickly open it and walk after her. "And another thing, young lady—if you ever, _ever_ disobey me again, I'll make sure that the only thing you'll be doing is going to school and coming right back home!"

"That's all you've ever done, mother! Other than the few times I've gone to friend's houses, I've come straight back home! Now you're practically stalking me!" she shouted back, quickly going up the stairs, heading for her room.

Kagome entered her room, not bothering to slam the door, knowing her mother would barge immediately in. She let out a long, aggravated sigh. "What do you want? I don't want to talk! Everything you say to me right now, you know, it doesn't mean shit! I don't care!" Kagome said, her tears starting to fall. She was angry, and she was letting it out.

"Kagome! How dare you swear at me!" her mother reprimanded.

"Right now, Mom, I don't care! You just hate the fact that he's not rich! So what if he _looks_ like a thug? So what if he's not all prim and proper like _you_ want?" It wasn't all entirely true; she did care that she was yelling and swearing at her mother, but in the heat of the moment, she wasn't holding back.

"You're just going through a rebellious stage, and I want it to end!"

"It's not a phase! Not everything I do is a _phase_! I told you! I like him, and he likes me! We actually talk! He talks about real things, not all about money, riches, cars, and pristine colleges, and what his family did on the yacht in Boca!" she yelled in desperation, her voice slightly cracking from the tears that continued to build. She had gotten just about all she could take from her mother's intolerance.

"Kagome, that is not all anyone talks about! You're being overdramatic!"

"Oh, _I'm _being overdramatic? How about you? Miss _'I'll call the cops on you if you come near my daughter again!'_" the teen yelled at her mother louder. She dropped her messenger bag and walked over to her desk, trying to calm herself down by looking away from her parent. She had never felt this much anger rise in her—not in this way, not like this.

Kagome looked at her alarm clock, her mind trying to space itself away so she wouldn't continue to blow up on her mother. But why was _she_ the only one now trying to holding back? Why did she have to be the _adult_ during all this? Her mother was the one that was being unreasonable, unfair, and frankly, in her opinion, a bitch.

The young brunette's eyes widened as the thought passed through her head. She had just thought of her _mother_ as being a bitch. But she couldn't think of her in any other way at the moment; her mind was whirling, abuzz with her thoughts and her mother's voice. She couldn't think clearly and finally snapped. "Shut up!" she screamed at her mother, who had continued ranting and nagging her.

Kagome's mother stood a few feet away, her jaw dropped, and now silenced from her daughter in obvious shock. Not only from her daughter telling her to shut up, but the tone and anger she heard in her voice from those two little words alone.

"Young lady!" she gasped, aghast at how the younger spoke to her.

"Look…I'm sorry," the teen began in a more controlled, though still angry and stern tone. "But you're driving me crazy, to be frank about it. You don't want to even give him a chance just because he's not up to _your_ standards. You take no consideration into how I feel about him. Nor do you care about what _I_ want."

"He's just a boy—there are plenty of them out there. Ones that are deserving of you. Not that scum. You could never be in love or fall in love with some_thing_ like that," her mother retorted, her arms crossed. "Sorry doesn't cut this, Kagome. You're going to respect me as your elder."

"You don't know that! You don't know if I could ever love some_one_ like him! He's not scum, so stop calling him that. I now may never know if I could have fallen in love with him because you tore me away! I wouldn't blame him if he decides to think I'm not worth the hell you've been bringing!" Kagome yelled. Her face was red, and she felt hot with her fury that had begun to rise once more. "I won't respect you until you respect me, Mom!"

"I don't know what happened to you. You used to be so obedient and so—"

"Naïve? Because that's what I was… I believed just about anything that I was told, but not anymore. I'm growing, I'm maturing. And I know what I think is right and what I think is wrong, and right now, what I think is wrong is you," Kagome retorted quickly.

"You can think I'm wrong all you want, but you'll thank me later," her mother said calmly, but disappointedly, walking out of her daughter's room, shutting the door behind her with more force than necessary.

Kagome looked at her hands, and they were shaking as her anger was still boiling over. She looked at her alarm clock and grabbed it, throwing it against the wall and letting out a yell, creating an indent. The outburst helped her to regain a small portion of her sense and calm her down before she walked over and locked her door.

Tears flowed freely down her face, and she slumped against the door. She could hardly breathe; it was as if she was having a panic attack. In fact, she was pretty sure that's what was happening. The young brunette tried her best to get a grip on herself. Voicing herself like that to her friends was one thing…but yelling like that at her mother was another. The two of them had always been close—they had never really argued except for petty things…

But it wasn't her mother's stupidity that entirely drove her to the edge. It was about her mother not letting her live her life, to be a free adult, to give the guy she was dating…or at least was, a chance. She took a deep breath and let it out gently, but shakily.

The teen brought her hands up to her cheeks and wiped away the tears. _'Dammit…'_ she thought to herself. She knew she had to eventually apologize to her mother, but she deserved one in return and, in her mind, she was the one who shouldn't have to say it first.

But she was pissed and an apology wasn't going to come anytime soon. She could only hope Inuyasha was alright and didn't hate her guts for walking away with her mother and not being able to stop her onslaught of insults.

The more she calmed, the more the clearer thoughts swirled through her head, overwhelming her with emotions and pent-up anger again, causing her tears to continue.

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><p><strong>Soooo yeah, lots of drama? DX SORRY! But the story is dramaticangst. But I hope you all liked it and will leave a review letting me know what you think.**

**And I tried to not make the rape scene graphic, just enough that you got the idea and hopefully felt the air of desperation I suppose? I dunno, klfdjsfks I'm rambling, anyway!**

**The next update will be in a week. ^_^;;;;**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you for all who reviewed last chapter. I really appreciate it. ^_^ I hope you enjoy chapter sixteen! ( DX I'm sorry it's short! I'm a terrible person!)**

**Poem in chapter is not mine DX Because I suck at writing them. It belongs to whomever it's respective owner may be.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha!**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 16~<strong>_

The teen sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. Peeking an eye over at his alarm clock: _12:15pm._

It was Friday, and he had so far been doing a good job of avoiding school, having called in sick for a few days. With all that was on his mind, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to see Kagome, but he also didn't want to risk her mother catching them together again.

He didn't care if she called the police on him; he just didn't want Kagome to get into more trouble because of him.

Then there was Naraku. The domineering bastard would only become angrier at him as time passed if he was continually kept away because he was off doing something with Kagome.

Inuyasha let out a heavy breath again. _'I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't…'_ he solemnly thought to himself.

"Fuck…" he grumbled. He was confused—did all this mean that he and Kagome had broken up, or no? They hadn't spoken in a couple of days. He had gone out and gotten himself a cell phone, but the only problem was that he didn't have her number committed to memory.

He cursed again.

Inuyasha pulled his hair back into a ponytail, reached for his backpack that was at the foot of his bed, and fumbled through. He was going to finish the last project he had Kagome had together: a handwritten essay on Macbeth. He knew it'd be due Monday and that her portion was more than halfway done.

It was the least he could do for her.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Monday had arrived, and the weather wasn't too kind. The sky was dreary and dark with rain clouds that began to form overhead while the students tenaciously studied inside the building.

The beautiful weather that they had known was now over. Trees that were once flourished with leaves of beautiful shades of bright and dark greens were now stricken bare by the harshness of the cold air that whipped its way through, lashing anyone in its path.

The sprinkling of snow would more than likely be arriving in the next few days to weeks. Then closely following would be a blizzard. The beautifully brash climate petrified the roses and various other flowers that once decorated the school yard. And it was only Monday.

He stood in front of the classroom, his hand on the door handle, ready to enter. His grey eyes closed and his chest swelled as he took a deep breath and slowly let it free. Inuyasha opened the door and was immediately greeted with dozens of eyes staring right in his direction.

His chrome eyes darted around; spotting Kagome, he gave a small, uneasy smile. He didn't know quite what to do and had wondered how many people had already bothered her with questions about whether or not they had broken up already.

The teen didn't know why he had avoided her at lunch—it could have been the perfect time for them to straighten things up. But he wasn't entirely ready, and knowing her mother, she would have somehow gotten word that they were together.

He started towards her after turning in his portion of their project but was stopped in his tracks by the teacher, who gestured for him to come back.

His eyebrows furrowed as he listened to what the woman had to say. His features changed from one of tiredness and hope to sadness. He nodded slowly, understandingly, and walked away from his desk next to Kagome to his _new_ seat…which was on the other side of the classroom.

After placing his stuff down, he looked over at Kagome, whose sullen expression made him feel more guilt than before. Her mother had actually gone through with making sure they stayed apart. Though the teacher didn't explicitly state that her mother had requested this, it was obvious. He wondered if Kagome's mother had told any teachers to let her know Kagome's every move. He sure hoped not.

A soft sigh left his lips as she refused to look up at him.

He hardly paid attention when the teacher had begun her lecture on poetry.

"You'll all start with making poems right now. I want you to try and use the emotion of sorrow or sadness—basically anything related to tragedy. This poem can be from any one of the types of poem that is written on the board. You have ten minutes, and then you'll each present," she said with a peppy tune in her voice. "And remember, it doesn't have to be perfect."

Inuyasha's eyes looked at his backpack, and he pulled out his notebook, thumbing through his various poems, deciding which one he should say.

After a few minutes of watching everyone frantically scribble down and struggle with their poetry, his attention went to the teacher, who stood again and gestured for everyone to put their pencils and pens down.

"Alright, any volunteers?" she asked politely. "First one to volunteer gets five extra credit points."

Still no one.

The teacher sighed, but a smile grew on her face as she saw Inuyasha's hand raise.

"Yes, Mr. Taisho, please share your poem."

Inuyasha nodded and stood, his eyes looking in Kagome's direction, then back down at his paper.

"Silence builds an awful wreckage of a boy_. _It feeds on loneliness and creates a void. Gray shadows haunt and torment and torture. A teenager is stricken and destroyed," he began…

"There is no sound of laughter or happiness here. The little one has thrown in the towel today. Somber, melancholy moods decay the soul. It is futile to hope and dream and pray," he paused shortly, looking up at the room full of eyes staring at him. Some seemed disturbed, others intrigued and interested.

"Emptiness builds a home in this man. In this boy, this child where hollows have bred. A deepening sea of nowhereness consumes. And eats away at every connecting thread." Inuyasha looked back up. The poem was mostly committed to his memory. It had been something he had written during a lunch break at school weeks ago. From the look his teacher was giving him, he was sure that if she was grading it, he'd get an A.

"Confusion feeds like a savage inside him, leaving nothing considered worthy remains. Destined to walk through life less ordinary. Alone, exiled, different and disdained," he finished, folding his paper back and giving a slight shrug of his shoulders. "That's it…" he mumbled quietly.

The teacher began a small, short round of applause that made him feel uncomfortable. "Very nice, Inuyasha… I can't wait to see more poems of various feelings and emotions from you. You're quite talented," she said, giving him a genuine smile.

The compliment and praise made him feel good, the first time in a long time he had every been praised by anyone other than Kagome. He quickly took his seat, ignoring the murmur of voices going on around him.

"_Emo much?"_

"_What the hell was that? I mean, it was good…but dark."_

"_I think it was about himself."_

"_Who cares; not like he'll put it to any use."_

He rolled his eyes and watched as the next person walked up and presented their poem.

On the other side of the classroom sat Kagome. She felt guilty for not even gracing Inuyasha a second glance. That was it… She knew it. They were over just as quickly as they had began, and all because of her mother's inability to tolerate someone who wasn't from an upper-class neighborhood.

She sighed and turned her head, catching his glimpse and smiling a bit at him. Hoping that her apology could be silently understood. He seemed to get it as he smiled back and playfully stuck his tongue out at her. And she did the same back, a light blush forming on her cheeks as she looked away.

'_At least he hasn't completely given up on me…'_ she assured herself. She drew her lower lip into her mouth, deep in thought—what his sticking his tongue out at her could mean. They were still together? They were still friends? He was trying to let her down easily? Teasing her as he usually did? What?

The thoughts were driving her up the wall; she didn't even notice when the bell had rang, signaling school's end, and everyone had cleared out, except for Inuyasha who slowly packed up his things.

Kagome looked over at him, and he looked at her. Her eyes darted towards the door then back at him, signaling for him to follow her. She quickly walked out of the classroom and started slowly down the hallway, waiting for him to come out behind her.

She subtly glanced over her shoulder and saw him casually walking a good distance behind her and off to the side, seemingly paying her no mind.

Kagome began to look around for a place they could talk; the school was chockfull of shortcuts where students could cut away to in order to get to certain classes on time. She turned the corner quickly, leading him to the back of school, where few kids except for potheads ever ventured.

Once they were both outside and out of sight, she turned around to face him, immediately receiving a kiss from him. Kagome smiled against his lips and leaned into the kiss, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry…" she quietly whispered, continuing the kiss.

"No…I am…" he said back, breaking the kiss and pulling her into a hug. "I got a cell phone so we could still talk." He smiled, his steel eyes focused on her, gentle and sincere.

"Really? Wow… I guess you really haven't given up on me…though any guy in their right mind would," she commented, pulling out her phone to give Inuyasha her number and get his in return.

"Well, I'm not like every guy, nor am I in my right mind. You know this." He smirked at her and tipped her chin up, kissing her, replacing her phone with his own, so they could each put their numbers in each other's phones.

She excitedly returned the embrace. "I know."

"I put my name in there as Yuki…in case your mom checks your phone," he quietly said, taking his own phone back from her as he handed hers over.

The young brunette nodded. "That's smart. But she hasn't sunk that low yet, though you never know… We should get out of here before anyone sees us…but where can I see you again? People are bound to notice if we slip off back here all the time…" she pondered.

"I'll text you." He grinned, his tone reassuring her that things would possibly improve.

"Okay…'Yuki'," she laughed lightly, giving him a quick peck on the lips before walking off quickly, back into the school.

Inuyasha watched her walk away and sighed. Maybe everything would go over smoothly, or maybe they'd only get worse…

For now, he could only hope for the positive. He laughed once to himself bitterly. Her mother was one of the sole reasons he couldn't see her in public. But then there was the thought of Naraku again… How much time would he actually get with her alone?

And what if Naraku found out that she wasn't from where they were?

He tried to push out any consequences that were a possibility from his mind. _'Only the positives…'_ he reminded himself. If he thought negative, then bad things could and would happen, he tried to convince himself.

Inuyasha grumbled lowly to himself as he decided to walk back to his apartment. His first plan was to keep the cell phone a secret from Naraku… That would be another thing that's a danger in its own. Having something in his possession that the elder didn't know about…and knowingly keeping it a secret from him.

He had known what happened to people who kept things a secret from Naraku before and the results were never good. It had been a little over six years since he'd fallen under Naraku's wing, and he still had yet to escape. He didn't want this life and the baggage that came with it, but he didn't know anything else.

Would he ever know anything other than a life of crime, drugs, and drinking?

He sighed, having doubts. The chilly air, pierced him to the bone, icing over his skin.

Inuyasha shuddered; he was only wearing a long-sleeved, black thermal, not one of his usual heavy sweatshirts. He pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and a lighter, lighting up.

It was rare that he smoked; usually just when he was stressed, angered, cold, or around some of the gang members who gave him hell for not smoking or doing any other drugs.

'_Lung cancer is enough for me…'_ he silently mused as he took a drag of the tobacco-filled paper.

He had smoked three cigarettes by the time he made it to his side of town. The first step into his neighborhood, and he heard a small gunshot in the distance. Not doubting that the shooting would be on the news later and in the paper the next day, he ignored it.

He didn't know whether it was a random act of violence in the late afternoon or one of his gang members. It had taken over an hour and a half to walk back to his home, but he didn't care. It was just an excuse to have to spend less time with his so-called "friends".

The further he got into his neighborhood, the more he got a sinking feeling in his gut. He knew it couldn't be good.

Only one out of ten times had his intuition been wrong about/around his gang. He swallowed and headed up into his apartment complex, hurrying up the flight of steps, not wanting to waste any time getting inside. He picked up the pace as he got to his floor.

His heart began beating rapidly.

His mind began racing…

The teen remembered Naraku mentioning something about putting in work.

He took a deep breath as he approached his door.

Inuyasha began hearing a light tapping was heard on the other side of it…as if it were light footsteps.

He unlocked the wooden door and ventured in cautiously.

His eyes darted around the living room and kitchen; there was no one. He carefully headed back to his bathroom—no one. Finally, there was his bedroom… He took a few steps towards the door and gently pushed it open, peering into the darkened room, and he took a sigh of relief.

This time, his intuition had been wrong…

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><p><strong>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review, please, letting me know what you think! The next update will be in a week! ^_^<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you all who reviewed. ^_^ I appreciated every single one. Now, some of you may feel this chapter is out of place or that it's stupid DX **

**IMPORTANT!: **But! Just remember one thing, they're teenagers and Kagome's tempted by rebellion lol. I don't know if I have to point that out but *Shrug* some people may not get it, or I dunno. Anywho! I hope you all enjoy and don't spear me on a stick. ^_^;;;;

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha or any part of the franchise, I only own this fic! And the other ones that are on my page!**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 17~<strong>_

Kagome sighed as she laid down in the fluffed sheets of her bed, curling herself in a small ball, and looked at her phone. It was past midnight, and yet another day that she and Inuyasha hadn't spoken.

He had been skipping a lot of school lately, and she didn't know why. _'Something has to be going on with him…'_ she nervously thought to herself.

It had been a week since they had exchanged their numbers, and they'd only spoken on three separate occasions, made time to talk and, of course, share a few brief kisses only once.

As she scrolled through her contacts list, she heard her room door click open. Kagome snapped her phone shut and tucked it under her covers before her mother could see the light coming off the screen.

The two had hardly spoken to each other since the incident in the park nearly two weeks prior, and her mother was deciding that midnight was a good time to come and bother her?

"Kagome…I've been thinking, and we need to talk, right now," her mother said quietly, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'm tired," the teen bluntly responded, not wanting to hear from her guardian at the moment.

"So am I. Now. There's going to be a change in rules around here… You aren't allowed to have anyone at the house when I'm not around," she began.

Kagome cut her off and rolled her eyes, though staying in one place curled under her sheets. "It's not like I have any friends to invite over and party with, anyway, so you can sleep peacefully at night, Mother," she said with a harsh tone.

"Kagome, do not talk to me like that!" he mother demanded, her own mood becoming angered. "I'm just trying to lay down the rules and talk to you," she added, calming herself down with a slow, deep breath. "Now, as far as dating goes, I must meet the guy. He must look respectable, have a good head on his shoulders, be good in school, and not have a _record_," she said, scrutinizing Kagome's beau in a "you-know-who" fashion.

This angered Kagome even more, enough to where she bit down on her tongue to keep from swearing at her mother. She just wanted the elder to leave her alone and in peace. "Fine, whatever. Goodbye and goodnight," the younger brunette huffed, trying to hurry her mother out of her room as she felt the subtle vibration of her phone. It had to have been Inuyasha.

Her mother was growing just as angry as Kagome was and abruptly stood. "Fine then—if you don't want to listen to me, then don't. But you will live by my rules as long as you live in my house!"

With that, the older Higurashi left her daughter's room, slamming the door.

Kagome closed her eyes, trying ebb away her growing temper. Then she remembered her phone.

The brunette quickly grabbed it and flipped it open, looking at the screen. _New message from Yuki_. She was right. A smile spread on her lips, and she opened the new notice: _Hey, Kagome… Sorry I haven't texted you lately. I was busy._

Kagome rolled her brown eyes; that was _always_ his excuse. _Busy with what?_ she texted back, wondering what could be keeping him so occupied.

It didn't take long for his reply to come through. _Just stuff. How are you?_ he asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the screen; she usually let his vague and obscure answers slide, but not this time. She was going to know once and for all. _Busy with what, Inuyasha?_ she asked again, using his name to let him know she was dead-set on knowing the true answer.

A few silent minutes passed. Either he was going to ignore her message, he was thinking up an excuse to tell her, or the explanation was extremely long.

_I've been getting a lot of jobs to do, that's all…but I suppose you want more than that. In all honesty, I was selling drugs and other errands, _he explained.

Kagome shut her eyes, turned her head into her pillow, and took as deep a breath as she could manage before replying. _I see. Why do you do that stuff?_ she asked, curious to know why he kept it up.

_I have no choice._ was the response that came through a short minute later. _Let's move on. I want to see you soon,_ he added as she was thinking of a response.

_When, how, and where?_ she quickly replied back, running a hand through her hair, deleting their messages as they rolled in and out in case her mother decided to ever snoop in her unattended phone.

_How about tonight? Tomorrow is Saturday, so it's not like we have school…and I can meet you at the bus stop down the street from your house,_ he suggested.

Her eyes widened as she read the text. She had never snuck out of her house before. But the thought of it sounded thrilling. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. The more she thought about it, the more it enticed her. _Alright; I'll sneak out. Where are we going to go?_ she asked, full of curiosity.

_Okay. Meet me there in about ten minutes. I'm not far. And you'll see. _was all the gray-eyed teen said back, leaving her mind wondering.

She quietly got out of her bed and tiptoed over to her closet, picking out a black jacket and changing out of her pajamas into a pair of jeans. She knew it had to have been chilly out since it was going to be winter soon, and she didn't want to freeze.

Shrugging, Kagome zipped her jacket all the way up and slid on her converse. She slowly opened her bedroom door and peered out into the hallway, her attention turned towards her mother's bedroom, which was wide open.

'_Fucking hell… She's not in there, meaning she's downstairs,'_ Kagome huffed as she thought quietly to herself. She gently closed her door again, and her gaze moved towards her window. _'Maybe…'_ she silently wondered.

The young brunette padded over to her window and opened it, looking down—it wasn't a far distance. She could make it without breaking any bones…maybe. She glanced up and noticed the tree right outside the pane. It wasn't far; she could just reach it and climb down that way.

She grabbed her cell phone and took a deep breath, climbing out of her window and into the tree. Kagome gasped and clung to the branches, almost losing her footing. _'I cannot believe I'm actually doing this… I'm so dead,'_ she thought to herself as she descended down the branches, making it safely to the ground with only a small scratch to the back of her hand.

Kagome ducked around the side of the house, avoiding being seen through any windows, and quickly headed down to the bus stop.

As she approached her destination, she didn't see any sign of Inuyasha. _'He should be here by now,'_ she worriedly thought.

As the brunette got closer, a silver car parked on the side of the road rolled down the passenger side window and flashed its headlights. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she curiously but cautiously walked towards the vehicle, keeping her distance.

"It's me, princess," came the familiar voice from the car. Kagome smiled and walked over, peering in, seeing Inuyasha sitting behind the wheel, waiting for her to get in.

She looked around and bit her lower lip before opening the door and hopping inside. She leaned over and kissed her boyfriend gently, then pulled back, furrowing her eyebrows. "Where are we going?"

Inuyasha looked back at her and started up the car. "Anywhere you want to," he responded, looking ahead and pulling off.

"Well…actually, first off, where did you get the car?" she asked curiously, fastening her seatbelt on and watching her house as it disappeared in the distance. The whole situation was still exciting.

"I didn't steal it. It is technically mine, I suppose. I borrowed it from a…friend," he explained, thinking to himself, _'If I can call Naraku a friend…' _Truth was, Naraku lent it to him to run more errands, not to take out his girlfriend.

"I never thought you stole it, actually," she sighed and leaned back in the seat. "It's a nice car, though… Smells a little like smoke…but it's nice."

Inuyasha glanced over at her and huffed, "Sorry… I guess I'm the one making assumptions now. And sorry about the smoke smell; it's my fault the smell is still in here."

Kagome looked towards him, noticing his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "Oh…you know smoking is bad for you," she commented, sitting back up and staring out the window at the passing buildings.

"So is a lot of other stuff…" he replied back, turning a corner. "I'll try and cut back and eventually stop."

"You'd actually do that?" she asked, looking back at him, wide-eyed.

Inuyasha glanced at her and nodded once. "Yeah. Now, princess, where are we going?" he asked, turning his attention back to the road ahead.

"Well, we could go to the park and finish that date?" she offered, smiling.

Inuyasha laughed once, a grin growing on his features. "I was thinking the same thing…but at midnight?" he asked, a little worried.

Kagome shrugged. "It should be fine. Not much crime happens around here. Plus, I have you to protect me," she joked.

Inuyasha nodded and smiled a bit more. "Sure."

After reaching the park, they got out of the car and walked towards the pond, holding each other's hand. Kagome leaned against Inuyasha's body, feeling a little cold from the occasional breeze that blew by.

They found a spot on the ground and sat beside each other, staring out at the pond. "The reflection from the moon looks amazing right now," the young brunette quietly commented, her head resting on Inuyasha's broad shoulder. She watched as the mirror image of the moon danced off the subtle ripples of the water, which were created by the ducks that swam past.

He smiled and looked at her. "It's not the only thing that looks amazing right now."

"That's sweet." She grinned, looking at him and moving in for a light peck on the lips.

"Oh, I was talking about me. You look okay, too," he sarcastically said with a wide smirk and stealing the kiss.

Kagome gasped, but couldn't help but laugh, lightly hitting his shoulder. "Jerk!"

His grey eyes focused on her, and he grew a mischievous grin, leaning in and kissing her. Kagome laughed into the kiss and threw her arms around his neck, laying down on the ground with him over her. Her head tipped back as his lips began to trail lower.

Inuyasha nipped against her jaw, placing gentle kisses over her skin, moving lower down the slope of her neck. His tongue flicked out against her, earning a light moan. He kept himself propped up on one elbow as his free hand roamed down the curve of her side.

Kagome bit her lower lip and unzipped her jacket, shrugging it off. She immediately felt his lips back in place as he kissed and nipped at her collar bone.

Inuyasha moved his tongue across from clavicle to clavicle, smirking against her skin. He glanced up at her and moved his hand down the front of her plain white t-shirt, slipping it under the bottom hem, his fingers lightly touching her stomach.

She gasped and furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at him. She didn't know what to do. "Only touching," she quietly said, feeling her heart race with excitement. She'd never been felt up by anyone, and the thought was adrenaline-rushing.

He grinned his pearly-white grin. "That's all I was planning on doing… I was just making sure it was okay with you," he commented, his cool hand moving along her heated skin, causing her to shudder and gasp from the contrasting sensations.

His large hand cupped over one of her breasts, over her bra as he gently massaged her chest. His lips were back on her neck, and his tongue flicked out against her over the small rosy love-bites, though he was careful to not leave any too dark.

Inuyasha's heart began to beat faster. Though he was feeling confident, he had never quite done anything like this before.

Kagome felt warmth rush to her lower region, and a dull ache rise in her core. Her cheeks heated up as she realized she was getting turned on. She blushed harder as her fingers pulled Inuyasha's locks out of the hair tie they were kept in, and she began running her fingers through the tresses.

She moaned a little more when his thumb traced over her perked nipple through the cloth of her bra. "F-feels good…" she lightly panted, trying to keep her hips from rocking against him. She hadn't recalled ever feeling this way before. Her fingers twirled in his thick hair, tugging carefully with every other nip against her collar bone and her neck.

In the midst of her bliss, she felt her pocket gently vibrate twice, and she sighed.

"Wait…" she managed to moan, sitting up with Inuyasha as he pulled her into his lap, his lips still on her neck and both of his hands roaming her sides.

Kagome pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, seeing a new text message. Her heart sank seeing who it was from.

_I don't know where you went, young lady. But when you get home, you're in a lot of trouble. - Mom._

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><p><strong>And I think I'll leave it there. . I hope it didn't suck or you guys didn't think it was stupid or just kljfkljdsklfa XD; Sorry. Anyway! Leave a review letting me know what you think!<strong>

**AND I'M SORRY IT WAS SHORT DX *Speared on a stick***


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey again guys! ^_^ Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate all the wonderful comments!**

**IMPORTANT: **I apologize so so so much, I will **not** be **able to post Maid For Seduction this weekend**, Senior year has started to settle in, so **school has been bleh**, and I **was busy making plans **for today with my friends since Monday is my birthday! 8D And so we're having a sleep-over xD;;; SO BECAUSE OF MY EPIC FAIL OF NOT GETTING **MFS **DONE ON TIME, **TWO CHAPTERS** WILL BE POSTED **NEXT WEEKEND. PROMISE! **Right now I'm uploading this chapter of Renegade while in the hotel room with my friends. XD;

**Now onto Chapter 18! (SORRY THIS IS UP AT NIGHT INSTEAD OF IN THE MORNING! DX )**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha!**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 18~<strong>_

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the words on the small screen of her phone and tossed it a few feet from where she and Inuyasha stayed, fisting her hands in his hair and kissing him firmly again.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he broke the heated kiss. "Who was it?" he quietly asked, panting softly, causing his breath to be seen in the chilly air.

The brunette seemed to almost ignore his question as she lightly grabbed his hand and ran it back upside as it slipped under her shirt, smirking at him.

Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her neck, repeating his question, but doing as she wanted him to do. Kagome huffed, nipping at his lower lip as she continued kissing him, disregarding his question again. She didn't want to talk about her mother. Not now.

His grey eyes opened, and he pulled the kiss apart, growing slightly peeved as to why she was blatantly refusing to answer him. "Kagome…" he said, a serious tone in his voice. His eyes seemed as if they were stone, unmoving as he stared intently at her, waiting for an answer.

"Who do you think it was?" she replied sarcastically, looking away and off to the side at her phone, which lay in the grass beside them.

"If it's your mother…then I'd better get you home," he commented, not wanting to get her into any more trouble than what he had already managed. "Dammit," he sighed. "…I knew I shouldn't have asked you to sneak out with me. I didn't me—"

Kagome cut him off with another quick kiss. "Hey…it was _my_ choice to sneak out, alright?" She smiled at him. "Besides…I'm already out. So, why go back right away? If I'm going to be in trouble anyway, then I might as well have some fun while I can."

Inuyasha looked at her, completely unsure of what he should do. "I think I should really take you home, Kagome," he said, smiling a little, trying to convince her to go back home. "If you go home now, you can probably avoid more trouble…" he tried to reason.

She shrugged and shifted her hips, fully straddling his lap as he sat back more. She licked her lips once, drawing his attention to them. "I could go home…but do you really want me to?" she asked quietly, attempting to persuade him. It nearly made her blush as she felt her cheeks warm up, and nearly made her want to laugh since it seemed to be working.

His steel eyes moved from her lips back to her eyes, and a smirk was on his face. "I guess… But—" he began again, stopping mid-sentence as he felt her hands trail down his body and slip under his shirt, her warm delicate hands danced over his tight muscles.

Kagome's eyes widened, not realizing that Inuyasha was actually physically fit. He wasn't completely ripped, but had what felt like a fairly impressive six-pack and a very taut chest. She bit down on her lip, feeling herself grow increasingly aroused.

His hands moving over her firm breasts wasn't helping.

Her nails gently scratched down his torso, over the planes of his abs, stopping at the top of his jeans before retreating back up his skin. She tipped her head and lightly kissed his neck, her tongue flicking out against his skin, just as his had against hers previously.

Kagome sucked lightly on his skin, kissing over and nipping at various areas. Her hands roamed over his chest, her fingers trailing over his nipples and further down. As her lips pulled away from his neck, she gasped and lightly laughed, seeing a darkish mark left behind.

"Uhm…I accidentally gave you a hickey," she said, feeling sorry and excited at the same time.

His hands ceased their motions and he raised an eyebrow, bringing one from out under her white shirt and touching his neck lightly. He shrugged his broad shoulders, looked at the gorgeous woman straddling his lap, and gave her a light peck to the lips. "It's fine; you don't have to be careful about that kind of thing with me like I do with you."

She nodded and moved her hands away from his chest, disappointing him, but he didn't let it show. He had been reveling in the feeling of her hands against his muscles, feeling them paced and patient while at the same time remaining arousing. He had began to feel the front of his jeans tighten uncomfortably, and he shifted his hips away from hers as to not let on to his current situation below.

He sighed and looked at her—she seemed to know the look in his eyes. "Fine…take me home," she huffed in return, knowing that she should get back.

Inuyasha kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue into her awaiting mouth. They both quietly moaned into the kiss, and she felt the dull aching between her legs increase. Kagome gasped, but tried to keep kissing him, attempting to ignore and not let on about her own discomfort down below.

'_Damn teen hormones…'_ she blamed, in her mind.

As they broke the kiss, Inuyasha helped her stand up and stood up with her, grabbing her hand. Kagome picked up her phone and shrugged her jacket back on in place, walking with him at a slow pace back to the car.

"How many women have you done that with…?" she asked cautiously, the thought having not left her head since they had begun in the park.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He sighed softly, "Believe it or not—none."

Her eyes widened, and she looked back at him. "Really? So, you've never felt up another woman?" She felt a tinge of happiness run through her.

"Not like that, no… I have touched another woman's breasts…but nothing like what I've done with you," he quietly said, looking straight ahead once more as they reached the car. He unlocked the doors, and she walked around to her side and got in.

Inuyasha started up the car and slowly pulled off.

"Well…that's good, I guess. Are you a virgin?" she asked innocently, anxious to hear his answer.

He propped his elbow up on the small space available by the window ledge of the car and rested his head on his hand, keeping his other hand on the steering wheel. "No…I'm not," he replied, not knowing if that'd be the deal breaker for them. _'Why didn't she ask these damn questions before…?'_ he huffed, thinking quietly to himself.

"Oh." She bit her lower lip, disappointed, and stared out her own window. "How many?"

"Two… One when I was fifteen…the other when I was sixteen," he responded in a monotone voice.

"You weren't dating either of them?" she asked, curiosity sparking, looking directly at the man in the driver seat.

"No…I was more or less pressured into both. I didn't want to, because I wanted to save my first time for someone I truly cared about…but things have a funny way of turning out, I suppose. Long story short, I was pushed into a room with one woman, and she basically did everything; that was my first time. The second time was basically the same deal—she made me grope her and pretty much took charge, and I just laid back and let it happen…" he said to her. He felt disgusted with himself, but figured it was best to get it all out in the open, so she'd know his baggage.

Kagome's eyes were wide. She felt sorry that his experiences happened to be unwanted and unpleasant. "I—"

"Don't say 'I'm sorry'," he quickly said, cutting her off before she could finish the unneeded apology.

"Okay… Just I wasn't expecting to hear about something like that."

He shrugged. "If you're thinking it was rape, it wasn't really. I participated willingly; I just didn't want to… I know that sounds weird, but… It was like I didn't want to have sex with either of them; I didn't have to, but I just let it happen. I don't know why. I was under the influence of a lot of older people… Peer pressure, I guess you could say…" he further explained.

His reasoning made her feel odd. "But it doesn't mean you don't regret it…"

"I never claimed to not regret it," he responded as they pulled up in front of her house. He looked up the long driveway. "Want me to walk you up?" he asked politely, changing the subject.

She was preparing to say something else, but stopped and looked out her window again, sighing. "No… Remember, she'll call the cops. She'd probably say some bullshit, like you kidnapped me or something," Kagome assumed.

She leaned over and pulled Inuyasha into a deep kiss. "Well, it doesn't matter to me that you aren't a virgin and that I am. It's a little odd to think about, but it's not going to make me stop dating you, okay?" she assured him with a genuine smile, already realizing that's where his mind was going.

He smiled back, feeling slightly better, and kissed her again. "I'll text you tomorrow morning, _princess_."

"You know…you can still call me Kagome, right?" She smirked, knowing he was teasing.

"I know." He grinned, watching her stick her tongue out at him and get out of the car. He waved, and she returned the gesture before turning and taking the long, lone stroll up to her front door. He waited 'til she disappeared inside before driving off.

He ran his hand over his face as he headed back to his neighborhood, his mind now flooded with the memories of him losing his virginity.

"_Come on, pussy, go get some."_

"_He's too much of a wuss."_

"_Naraku—what the hell? Why him? He's not jumpin' on that."_

"_He needs privacy, that's why. Put him in the room with her."_

He remembered the woman being fairly nice about everything, but still going through with it. Inuyasha recalled vaguely asking her to please use a condom; he had known the woman's history, and if he was going to lose his virginity to peer pressure, he wasn't going to get diseased while he was at it.

He closed his eyes for a short second. "I guess it might as well be considered rape…" he pondered out loud to himself, but shook his head. No. It wasn't. At least, it wasn't going to be something he would believe. He participated willingly, albeit pressured, but he went through with it.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Kagome, meanwhile, walked into her home and took a deep breath, seeing her mother waiting on the living room couch, her arms crossed and her eyes blankly staring at the black screen of their television.

The teen didn't say anything—she wasn't going to say the first word, yet she stayed where she was, knowing that there was going to be no way that she could just go to her room without hearing a lecture. Her mother seemed to have an annoying tendency to interrupt her time with Inuyasha at the most inopportune times.

"I don't understand it. Where did I go wrong with raising you? First, it was just dating the thug. Then you're letting him kiss you on the couch, eventually to who knows what! Now you're sneaking out doing _who knows what_. What's next, Kagome? Ditching school?" her mother asked sternly.

The young brunette didn't respond; she knew her mother was using one of her many rhetorical questions. She leaned against the door, staring off into space, letting most of what her mother said pass through one ear and out the other.

"If you want to act like some…some _slut_, that's on you once you're out of _my_ house. But I refuse to be the talk of the neighborhood. How do you think it makes me look as a mother when my daughter is bringing home some burden on society and sneaking out at night?" she asked, her temper growing more and more from Kagome's refusal to acknowledge her directly. "Look at me, Kagome!"

The teen's brown eyes wandered over to her mother, staring dully at the adult.

"You act like you don't even care! Tell me, Kagome, what did I ever do to you? Why are you acting this way? Are you taking drugs? Is something wrong in school? Are you upset because the anniversary of your father's death is soon?" her mother began asking exasperatedly, her patience wearing thin.

"You did nothing except attempt to pacify me all my life…treat me like a child, shield me away from making decisions on my own, making me conform to _your_ standards instead of forming my own. This is me, like it or not. I'm not on drugs. Nothing is wrong in school except that I'm no longer partnered with Inuyasha and probably never will be again because of you. I'm not upset because of my father's death anniversary, either. Stop making damn excuses for everything!" she snapped. "You're more concerned about your image than anything! You keep saying I'm the one who has changed, but it's you, Mom! It's _you._"

Her mother stood aghast at Kagome's growing volume of voice.

"You think that just because I snuck out tonight means something is wrong? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe that's how much I like spending time with Inuyasha? And don't act surprised—you know who I was with. Or maybe it's because I wanted to get away from you. I'm not all quite sure yet!" Kagome began yelling back. She pushed herself off the door and headed for the stairs to go to her room.

"Kagome! So, what? You hate me now?" her mother called out from behind her.

"No; not yet, anyway! But, Mom, in all senses of reality, you're being unreasonable, prejudiced, unfair, and just plain overbearing! Which are _very, very_ dislikable qualities," Kagome commented back, not stopping.

"Well, go on and dislike me, Kagome! I'm going to put a lock on your window, and I already took the lock off your door! So go ahead and be your rebellious new self; just know that it's going to be a hell of a lot harder now!" her mother yelled. All her poise and pedantic words were out the window. The woman was at her wit's end with her daughter and her behavior. "You'll be lucky if I don't take your door off its hinges!"

Kagome let out a frustrated huff and slammed her door as hard as she could, immediately going to her bathroom and grabbing a few towels, jamming them under the door so that it'd be damn near impossible to open without a lot of force.

Her hands ran through her hair, tugging at the tresses, and she plopped down on her bed. She placed her head in her pillow and let out a muffled scream of anger. The release of tension and frustration helped her, but only by about one percent.

She pulled out her phone and flipped it open, immediately typing in a message.

_Pick me up tomorrow at two o'clock. PLEASE!_

Shortly after she sent it, a response came through.

_Won't your mother be upset? I don't think she'll let you go._

Kagome rolled her eyes and quickly replied.

_I don't care. Just please come pick me up, or I'll meet you somewhere, rather. Park, library, bus stop, school, wherever; I just have to get away from her for at least half a day._

The next response came through almost ten minutes later.

_Fine… Meet me at the school, and make sure she doesn't follow you._

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><p><strong>^_^;;;; Don't shank me please. I'm hoping this story is still keeping you all entertained and such. Let me know in a review about what you think so far! ^_^ I like seeing where your thoughts are headed.<strong>

**The next update will be in a week!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello again everyone! ^_^ I'm glad you are all enjoying Renegade and I can't wait to see what you think about this chapter and future ones!**

**Also I'm sorry for the MFS delay but it is up and ready to go! ^_^ The next chapter of that one will be up tomorrow as I promised!**

**I have a feeling you'll all like this chapter ^_^ (Well hopefully…*Is going to be shanked*).**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 19~<strong>_

The chilly, late November air whispered by, causing the few stubborn leaves that remained on the near-barren branches of the trees that lined the street to finally, at last, give way.

Kagome's dark copper eyes followed the single falling leaf to the cold pavement at her feet, and she sighed, watching the gentle breeze carry the small, orange shape away from her. She pushed her brunette waves from her face, hugged her jacket closer to her body, and pulled out her phone.

_Where are you?_ she texted.

Inuyasha had been late to pick her up and had neither called nor texted. She didn't want her mother to "just" happen to drive by and spot her standing out against a store a few streets away from the school. She especially didn't want this after having lied to her mother and said she was going to a council meeting and, afterwards, would be heading to the gym.

Her mom had given her no response.

The young brunette took this as either her mother knew where she was going and didn't bother stopping her, or didn't care that she was leaving to do what she said and was possibly still angry.

Besides, she was only two-thirds of the way lying, considering there was a student council meeting that early afternoon—she just didn't let her mother know she wasn't going. In all actuality, she had been thinking of resigning. She had enough community service and school clubs under her belt for a college transcript. Dropping out of the council for the last semester and a half shouldn't have to matter.

Kagome shrugged and looked at her phone as it buzzed in her hand, seeing a new message.

_I'm down the street,_ it read.

Her chestnut eyes glanced down the direction where she expected him to emerge, and she smiled as she spotted the familiar car. She quickly got in once he pulled up and shut the door after he pulled up to the curb for her. Kagome leaned over and placed a short, sweet kiss to his lips.

Inuyasha's ashen eyes looked gentle and sweet, but mischievous as she pulled away from him. "I have something for you. Since you know it's been about a month and a half since we've been dating." He smiled.

Kagome's umber eyes lit with excitement and sparked curiosity. "What is it?" she impatiently inquired, causing Inuyasha to laugh at her eager questioning.

"It's in the box in the backseat. It's why I was late," he explained, though he was mostly ignored and already forgiven as Kagome awkwardly grabbed the medium-sized box from the backseat.

"Careful," he cautioned her.

Her brows furrowed as she lifted the lid off of the box, feeling whatever it was inside move around. Her eyes made contact with a small but chubby kitten.

"Aww! She's adorable!" she squeaked.

"It's a boy." He smirked.

"He's adorable!" Kagome absentmindedly repeated, gently picking up the young feline. "I don't know if my mom will let me have a cat, though…" she trailed off.

"Which is why he'll stay at my apartment, and you can come see him almost any time you want." He smiled more, hoping she'd like the news he was giving her.

"Really?" she said excitedly. "Thank you so much, Inuyasha," she sincerely said, kissing him again and then the top of the small kitten's head as it mewed innocently.

All the way to Inuyasha's side of town, Kagome played with the small ball of fur that playfully pawed at her fingers. "Have you thought of a name for him?" Inuyasha wondered as they neared his apartment.

Kagome pursed her lips and gazed at the mostly white cat that had a dark orange/brown "sock" on his front left paw, a patch of the same coloring covering the top left half of his head (including his ear) that trailed down to the middle of his back with a dash of black in the middle. She noticed that practically the same pattern was repeated on the small kitten's rump, and she giggled. "Buyo," she finally answered.

"Why Buyo?" he asked curiously, watching her make the slightly fat kitten dance.

"Well, it means flabby, so…I think it'll fit," she laughed. "And it's a type of dance that I'm…kinda making him do," she reasoned, smiling at the newly named feline again as it rolled onto its back on her lap, lightly biting at her fingers, playing.

"Makes sense." He nodded, smiling, glad Kagome liked the kitten as her gift. He stopped the car and seemed distracted, looking around the area.

Kagome followed his gaze, not seeing anyone else out on the street except for only a handful of pedestrians that were a ways away. "Come on; follow me," he quietly said as he exited the car and went around the other side, waiting for her as she held Buyo close to her and got out.

She followed behind her beau into the taupe-gray complex building. It wasn't the most eye-catching or appealing thing, but she dismissed her thoughts, figuring she shouldn't be the one to judge as she had witnessed much worse in the past.

Kagome followed him up the dimly lit stairwell and down the hallway. Her eyes shifted from the peeling wallpaper to the few flickering lights in various spots of the corridor. "This seems like the set up of some thriller or slasher film," she mused, touching the plain wallpaper that she found to be crudely painted over with a thin, off-white paint.

The small kitten in her arms mewed again, and Inuyasha turned towards her as they stopped in front of his door. "Everyday is a thriller alright," he sarcastically replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his keys to unlock the door.

Kagome furrowed her brows at his sudden snap. She had a feeling that for him, being at home was no more of a picnic than it had recently been for her.

Before they walked inside, she gently turned his chin towards hers and tipped up on her toes, kissing him to try and ensure him that she understood without having to create a tension by saying the words out loud. She heard him sigh and felt his lips curl up into a small smile before he broke the delicate embrace.

Inuyasha held her hand as they walked into his apartment.

Her brown eyes looked around the immediate area as he closed the door, then flicked on the lights after putting the lock on.

"This is actually nice," she said, setting Buyo down and letting the kitten roam his new home surroundings.

"You sound shocked…" he trailed off, watching the kitten waddle off before lightly bringing her along to begin the small tour.

"No, it's not that. You just acted like you didn't want me over—so I assumed that either one: there was another woman, or two: maybe you just didn't want me to see your place for some odd reason," she defended calmly with a smile.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Well, for one, you're the only girl I've ever actually wanted to date, so there is no other woman. And two…I guess you're partly right. I didn't want you over here for multiple reasons, not just the way it looks," he admitted.

Kagome looked around, not wanting to press him for those other reasons yet. She glanced around the small kitchenette and the adjoining living room and dining area. "Well, I like it. I mean, the paint jobs could use some work and it is a _little_ small, but it is meant for, what, one or two people?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "There's only one bedroom and one bathroom, so I'm sure no more than two are meant to live here. But I might move to a two-bedroom apartment across the street," he added as he led her to the narrow hallway that contained his bathroom at one end and his bedroom at the other.

"Buyo's litter box is in the bathroom, and his food and water is in the kitchen," he said, leading her to his bedroom.

She looked around, seeing his smallish bed and closet space, noticing most of the room was bare except for a writing desk pushed up against the wall that held multiple notebooks and a desk lamp. "Is that were you keep all your drawings and poems?" she asked curiously. Inuyasha nodded in response, but didn't say anything at first, letting her look around more.

Kagome's eyes went towards the blinds he had in the room. "A room with a view—very nice," she laughed softly and looked at his closet that was surprisingly longer than his bed. "You're room is a pretty decent size…so why is your bed so small?" she curiously asked, her gaze wandering back over to the desk with the small pile of notebooks of various colors.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know… The bed is the perfect size, I guess. It's a bit wider than I am and a little bit longer; I don't need much more. I don't live in glam. I just use what I need," he explained, leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom, following her gaze back to his desk space.

"One day, I'll let you read some, okay?" He smiled and walked over to her, placing his arm around the small of her back, and brought her back out to the living room.

"Alright, as long as you promise. You're a great writer, so I can't wait to read some," she said, leaning into him a bit.

They sat down together on the couch, and Kagome took her shoes off then placed her legs over his, scooting herself closer, practically settling in his lap. Her arms went around his neck, and she smiled. "See? This is nice. The world didn't end because I came over," she whispered and leaned closer to him, brushing her lips against his.

Inuyasha smirked. "I guess. No plague has come _yet_."

"Yet?" she asked, grinning back and raising an eyebrow slightly.

He laughed once and kissed her gently, his hand coming up and gently cupping her cheek, his other lightly laying on her thigh. Kagome leaned her body in further, her hands slipping under his red thermal.

Her delicate fingers dipped into the subtle ridges of his abs as her tongue teasingly flicked against Inuyasha's lips. His tongue met with hers, and his hand began to caress her thigh. They broke the kiss, and he removed his shirt, tossing it to the side.

Kagome took advantage of the pause to reposition herself on his lap, straddling him.

Inuyasha's charcoal eyes wandered down from her eyes to her rosy lips, then to her firm breasts before his attention was brought back to her face once more by the sound of her soft voice.

"Did you mean what you said earlier about me being the only girl you've wanted to date?" she asked, biting her lower lip, her eyes lazily gazing over his chest then back into his smoky irises.

He nodded slowly, tipping his head to the side and placing multiple, small kisses to her neck. "Your perfume smells good," he commented, enjoying the faint scent of vanilla on her skin.

Kagome sweetly smiled and absentmindedly ran her fingers through his thick, silken tresses. A small mew came from next to them, drawing Kagome's attention. She spotted Buyo innocently perched on the sofa's cushions. She laughed lightly from both the curious look on his face and the tickles from Inuyasha's breath.

He pulled away and glanced at the nosy feline. "What do you want, fatty?" he mused.

"He's not that fat. He's just a little bit chubby," Kagome giggled, picking Buyo up and leaving Inuyasha's lap, causing him to sigh.

"I'm sorry—I'll give you attention later, too. But I want to play with the kitten," she excused, giving Inuyasha the best smile she could, causing him to smirk back.

"It's fine; I don't mind being replaced by a cat," he sarcastically replied back, standing and stretching grabbing his shirt and throwing it back on.

A light tap was heard at the door, and Inuyasha felt his heart stop. His eyes widened, and he grew immediately defensive and cautious, looking towards the noise that sounding again.

This time the knocking was heard by Kagome, who looked over the back of the couch towards the entrance. "Aren't you going to answer it?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "Y-yeah…" he stuttered, trying to remain calm. His hand went into his pocket where he kept the switchblade, and he walked towards the door. He looked through the peephole, and his hand left his pocket, but his heart only hastened in its beating.

_Naraku_.

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><p><strong>And though I know a lot of people may kill me, I have to leave it there for now XD;;; I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter though and let me know what you think! ^_^<strong>

**The next update will be next week~**


	20. Chapter 20

**Alright, well thank you all for the reviews ^_^ Sorry to have ended it with a cliffy, but sometimes you have to! It keeps people coming back for more lol. Anyway, I hope you all read and enjoy this chapter too. And don't shank me ^_^;;;**

**REMINDER: **Those of you who read Maid For Seduction know that the editing may be off and seem sloppier than what it has been for the past 19 chapters of _this_ fic but it's because I'm now my own editor. *Salute* So feel free to form a rifle line and fire away at me. :D;;; **ALSO, IT WILL NOT BE UPDATED TODAY due to some technical difficulties and failures on my part. But TOMORROW IT SHALL BE!** *Shot*

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 20~<strong>_

Inuyasha tried to keep his anxiety down and he slowly opened the door. "Hi…Naraku," he said softly.

His heart was racing. Pounding. Nearly bursting out of his chest.

He couldn't think as the beating in his ears was too loud, "What are you doing here?" he asked breathlessly.

"What I can't visit you? I saw my car out front so I knew you were back. Let me in," he more demanded than asked. Inuyasha couldn't refuse, he closed his eyes and opened the door, letting his unwanted visitor in.

Naraku's icy eyes immediately caught Kagome's stare, "Oh. I wasn't aware you had company. Why don't you introduce me, Inuyasha?"

He almost flinched with the sound of his name, he knew Kagome wouldn't be able to pick up on it but he was sure that Naraku was fuming inside. Inuyasha slowly shut the door and turned, gesturing between the two, "Kagome…this is Naraku. Naraku, Kagome," he said, swallowing nervously, trying his best to not let it show to her.

The youngest of the three in the room, furrowed her brows, but then politely smiled at the new guest. She may not have been able to pick up on his subtle threatening tone towards Inuyasha, but what she did know was that her boyfriend had grown tense, and if she didn't know any better she would almost say he was scared.

She stood up letting Buyo stay in her arms. The small cat quietly hissed as the man approached her and hopped out of Kagome's grasp and onto the couch before running off to the bedroom.

"Uhm, hello," she said, attempting to be polite, and wondering why the so far sweet-tempered cat had acted in such a way.

Naraku took Kagome's hand in his and gentlemanly shook it, "Hi. It's a pleasure to meet a friend of Inuyasha's," he grinned.

Her brown eyes moved over the man's appearance. He smelled heavily of cigarette smoke and what she had a feeling might have been marijuana. His hair had a light speckle of gray near the roots in the front, while the rest looked jet black…like oil. He had the beginnings of crows feet at the corners of his eyes, and the subtle creases in his forehead. She figured the man had to of been in his mid thirties at the very least.

His seedy grin, gave her a worried feeling but she tried not to judge, and attempted to keep her eyes on his dark chestnut ones that gave off an icy chill. Underneath his stone eyes were dark, heavy bags - as if he had been awake for days on end; which unbeknownst to Kagome he was, from being on a drug binge.

A few of the teeth in his mouth were crooked and at least one was stained from the years of cigarette and drug abuse, she assumed. Aside from his face, his physique seemed to be normal, he was extremely lean, but not scarily thin. Her eyes darted around the room for Inuyasha.

He still remained by the door looking over at the two, it was as if he was terrified to even be within a few feet of the man he had let in his home. His gaze caught Kagome's and he took a deep, quiet breath walking over, as if snapping out of a trance.

He had to focus. He refused to let Naraku stay around her too long.

"Inuyasha…" Naraku said, letting go of Kagome's hand and turning towards said person, "I think it's quite rude of you to not have offered a drink to me…And what about you Miss Kagome? Are you thirsty?"

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed again, the man was bossing Inuyasha around like he owned him and in his own house too! "N-no I'm fine," she quickly replied, sitting back down, with Naraku swiftly grabbing the spot beside her as Inuyasha returned to the living room area with a beer from his fridge, handing it over to Naraku.

Kagome watched as Inuyasha sat across from them in a small chair, she could tell that he was forcing a smile on his lips at her.

"So, Kagome, how did you and Inuyasha meet?" Naraku asked politely, glancing over at Inuyasha as he took a long swig of the bitter alcohol, as if to shoot a warning for him not to answer.

"We go to school together," she shrugged, giving a small smile, but still worried about what was coursing through Inuyasha's head as he remained silent in Naraku's presence.

"I see…I'm Inuyasha's…adoptive father you might say," the older man said, taking another gulp of the alcohol in his hands. "Has he ever mentioned me before?" Naraku asked curiously.

Kagome nodded her head once, lying, something inside her told her to lie about certain details and what was true and false. "Yeah, he's talked about you before a little."

Inuyasha looked down at his hands, not knowing what to say should he be questioned by Naraku right then and there or later when Kagome wasn't around. His eyes shifted over to his pocket, knowing his switchblade was in there in case Naraku did anything to try and hurt her.

"Hm. I see. He hasn't mentioned you much. If I recall correctly, just once," he turned towards Inuyasha as he spoke, raising an eyebrow, "She's quite a beautiful, young woman, Inuyasha. Why didn't you introduce her sooner?" Naraku grinned.

If Kagome didn't know any better she would have almost said the older male was taunting him, trying purposefully to force his way under the teen's skin. It seemed to work as Inuyasha's hands clenched into fists then quickly uncurled again once he realized he was doing so. "I…was just waiting," he tried to make an excuse.

Naraku finished off the beer and set it down by the couch on the floor, "Hm…well I'm sorry to cut my visit short. I really just came by to get the keys to my car from Inuyasha. But I'll be back later, that's for sure, maybe you'll be here, Miss Kagome," he said, giving her a wide grin and walking over to Inuyasha holding his hand out for the car keys.

Inuyasha quickly handed them over not looking the older male in the eye, with a near disgusted look on his face.

Naraku laughed lowly a few times before turning and leaving the apartment without another word to either of them.

The teen male looked over at his confused girlfriend and moved over to the couch, grabbing her hand gently, "I'm…sorry Kagome. This is why I didn't want you over…because of _him_," he whispered, as if the strange man was still present in the room.

"What's going on, Inuyasha? You're scared of him, aren't you?" she asked worriedly.

He sighed and looked off, hating himself more for letting a paranoid fear show through to her of all people. He ran his hands through his hair, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to let him talk to you like that or anything," he continued to apologize.

Kagome turned his face back towards her own and kissed him lightly, "It's okay, Inuyasha…I mean he was a little creepy, but it's fine. I don't really understand what's going on, and it's obvious you don't want to tell me right now…But I want you to eventually enlighten me, okay?" she asked, tipping her head to the side and raising an eyebrow.

He looked into her dark hazel eyes and nodded, "Okay…But I'll tell you one thing…he's the leader of the…gang I'm in," he admitted, "And a lot, you wont like hearing."

"Then we'll take it in baby steps," she quickly replied, not entirely affected, or surprised about his gang affiliation.

His eyes widened as she didn't so much as blink at his mention of his gang, it brought on a smile of relief at her understanding. So far it had all seemed unreal to him.

But one thing was real…and that was Naraku's anger with him. And he knew he'd feel his wrath later, he just had to make sure Kagome was safe back at her home when it happened.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Inuyasha had dropped her off back at her house a few hours later, escorting her on the bus ride back. Kagome didn't care if her mother had a problem with him, there was nothing her guardian could really do, and she couldn't comprehend why her mother would want her to not be happy.

No matter, the veil that had been placed over her eyes over the previous eighteen years of her life had been removed and she was focused on what _she_ saw, not what others wanted her to see.

Her mother hadn't said a word to her when she walked in the house, and Kagome headed straight up to her room, attempting to lock the door, but remembered that her mom had gotten it taken off. She let out a groan of frustration before heading into her bathroom to take a shower. Hopefully it would wash away some of her pent of anger.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Inuyasha rubbed his face as he slowly meandered down the corridor of the apartment complex. He didn't know how Naraku would confront him later…but he knew it wouldn't be good. _'At least Kagome is back home now,'_ he thought in relief. As he reached his door, the teen pulled out his keys to unlock it.

As he turned the key in the lock he didn't hear the normal click. His eyes widened and his heart immediately began to race as he realized that the door was already unlocked, meaning Naraku was in his apartment. He closed his eyes and almost wanted to go back the way he came. Inuyasha then realized the kitten was still inside the apartment.

His eyes broadened once more and he hurried inside, stopping seeing Naraku in the living room looking out of a window. "Hello, Inuyasha…" he said in a low tone of voice, "Close the door," he quietly demanded. His arms appeared crossed since his back was to the teen.

The younger male tried to keep his breathing steady and did as he was told, and then walked cautiously towards the other, "Naraku…I was going to—"

"Hush…you might wake the kitten," he said, turning and smirking at the teen, said feline in his arms. "It's finally starting to like me. It is a cute cat, where'd you get it?" he asked, a dangerous undertone in his voice.

"Someone was selling them…" Inuyasha responded, his eyes not leaving Naraku's arms.

"Hmm, for that bitch I'm assuming?" he nonchalantly guessed.

"She's…not a bitch," the teen said in his girlfriend's defense. He didn't want Naraku talking about her that way. He didn't even know her, but he knew that the older male was only saying it to get under his skin.

Naraku's head tipped to the side and he suddenly, without warning grabbed Buyo by the scruff of his neck, violently waking the sleeping kitten.

"Naraku! Please don't do that!" Inuyasha pleaded, hearing the kitten's small mew for help.

"Do what? Oh I can do much worse…" he threatened with a devilish grin, holding the small ball of fur out of the window, dangling him over the concrete below. "Maybe we should test the myth that cats always land on their feet," he darkly laughed.

"Naraku don't! Please!" Inuyasha begged, his eyes wide with fear.

"Wow…you're getting soft. It's just a cat…or are you already pussy whipped over the slut that was here earlier? This _is_ her cat, isn't it?" he taunted further, his arm not budging to bring the innocent cat inside.

"She's not a slut, Naraku…just…please don't hurt the cat," Inuyasha pleaded again.

"What do you think she'd do if she found out her new kitty had an unfortunate accident just hours after you got it for her?" he chuckled again, acting as if he was going to drop the mewing kitten.

Inuyasha didn't know what to do, he took a few steps forward towards Naraku before being stopped in his tracks, "Come any closer and I'm dropping the damned thing," the older male warned him.

Tremors of fear coursed through his body, "Please…" he asked once more, not knowing what else to say.

"Suck it up. You look like you're going to cry, jeez you're pathetic. I don't know who I've raised anymore," Naraku commented, bringing Buyo back into the apartment to safety and letting the kitten down to the ground. He watched as the small kitten quickly ran off to Inuyasha's bedroom once more.

He closed the window with a rough slam causing the teen in the room to flinch and recoil.

"Inuyasha…tsk tsk. You've broken so many rules for that one woman. You're not supposed to be involved with _anyone_ that I don't know about. Especially one that was obviously born with a silver spoon up her cunt," he sneered.

Inuyasha felt his anger boil at the way Naraku talked about Kagome, "Stop talking about her like that!" he blurted out against his will, causing the older male to turn and look him dead in the eyes.

"What was that?" he laughed, "Someone finally decided to grow some balls. Too bad they're still small, boy. How do I know that you aren't plotting against me with her? Or that she's not going to turn us all into the cops? Or that you aren't running off at the mouth spreading our secrets, huh?" he questioned, growing angrier and angrier, approaching Inuyasha with clenched fists.

His grey eyes widened and he began backing up, his own fists clenching, preparing to defend himself.

"Don't run now. Cause either I'm going to take it out on you…or I'm going to take it out on _her_," he threatened with a smirk, "And trust me, what I'll do to that hot little piece of ass will be a lot worse than just simply getting an ass beating to put that bitch in her place."

"Stop that!" Inuyasha yelled, his heart was going haywire now, nearly leaping out of his chest, his fury on the rise.

Naraku looked at him surprised, "Well well, if you're such a man. Show me. Hit me, Inuyasha. Right now, I'll give you a free punch," he mused.

The teens breaths quickened, he felt like he was having a panic attack. His anger had never boiled over the top because of Naraku like this. His eyes glanced around the room, back at the man whom was now a few feet from him, and down at the floor. "I'm sorry," he grumbled out, grimacing at the floor, not sure if the older male would take his rage out on Kagome if he did decide to fight him.

The apology didn't work.

Inuyasha felt Naraku's clenched fist come down against the side of his face and was quickly thrown across the other side of the living room. Inuyasha fell harshly to the floor after losing his balance, the wind being knocked out of him, making it even harder for him to breathe. Naraku may have looked a bit on the weak side, but he had the punching power of a boxer.

His ragged panting hastened as he got to his feet and tried to block another of Naraku's quick blows, only to receive multiple to his torso in a matter of seconds.

He gripped his side looking at the man who had taken him under his wing so many years ago. He was now getting the most brutal end of the stick for being involved with a woman his "guardian" didn't approve of…and it was just beginning.

Naraku grabbed Inuyasha's hair and slammed his head into the wall before walking towards the couch.

The teen held the side of his head, the throbbing pain was brought on immediately, he looked back at Naraku and decided to attempt to fight back instead of just getting his ass handed to him. Maybe that's what Naraku wanted…for him to hit him.

Inuyasha ran at the older man only to receive another blow to the head, not by the man's fist, but by the beer bottle he had drank from earlier. The glass shattered against the teen's skull, the sharp shards cut the top of his eyebrow and the pieces clanked against the floor.

Naraku's dead eyes were filled with a burning fire of rage. "Get up and fight like a man!" he yelled at the teen who was on the ground, holding his face. The older male harshly kicked Inuyasha in his gut, "You want to act like a bitch? I'll have you shipped off to jail where there'll be plenty of guys to make you their bitch, is that what you want? Then your little fuck doll can spread her legs for me," he grinned, looking down at Inuyasha's enraged face.

He quickly got to his feet and held up his fists, ready to fight the other, his left eye having become swollen from the blows of Naraku's fists and the bottle. He was so blinded by his fury he paid no attention to the trail of blood that oozed from the wound above his eyebrow, down his cheek, and off his chin.

"You think you're going to beat me like that? You're nothing, Inuyasha. You're a little pussy, and that's it. I hear that runs in the genes, so maybe it is true, your father probably died like a bitch. Like father like son, isn't that right?" Naraku grinned, knowingly fueling Inuyasha's anger.

"Shut up!" he yelled loudly, swinging at Naraku, connecting with his jaw, hard enough to nearly bring the man to his knees.

Caught off guard, Naraku's eyes widened and he rubbed his jaw, surprised to find it actually hurt. Immediately Inuyasha was punching him again, his fists hitting back to back, not giving Naraku a chance to fight back.

A punch to his stomach, one to the jaw, another to the jaw, one to the side of his face.

He managed to dodge a hard punch by the teen, and quickly got behind him, maneuvering his arm around Inuyasha's neck and pulling him into a tight headlock.

The older male spit blood out of his mouth and onto the floor, "Now, listen to me and listen good, you little bastard. You can date that little buddy of yours, but if I even get the _slightest_ feeling that she's causing problems around here…let's just say you better make sure she's out of here before I do," he said through gritted teeth, his arm pressing tighter against Inuyasha's neck, choking him further.

He couldn't breath and his face was turning red, just as he had thought he was actually doing something, he had been overpowered once again. He attempted to struggle, but the gang leader's grip was too tight. The teen attempted to choke out demands that he be let go but it was of no use.

Soon his vision faded to black…

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><p><strong>^_^;;; *Shanked, shot, shoved in a trunk, dumped in the Mississippi River* I'm sorry peeps that that's how the chapter ended and how it went… But leave a review letting me know what you think about the chapter.<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Alright then the long awaited Chapter 21. I'm so so so sorry that it has taken so long. I finally got the file, the person made a mistake and didn't realize that I needed it, so don't hold any grudges against them, I'm not. It's over and done with.**

**But here is Chapter 21! =] Chapter 22 will be up in a few hours!**

**This chapter is a little short, but I hope you'll all like it.**

**Disclaimer: **I DO NOT own InuYasha.

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 21~<strong>_

Sirens were in the distance…

There was the faint sound of barking dogs and the loud voices of a few pedestrians on the street below rang through into his apartment.

Inuyasha opened his eyes, blinking once, discovering only his right eye was able to open completely. Every breath he took sent a sharp pain running over his body. He closed his eyes again, finding it hard to keep them open. After a few minutes of trying to regain his strength he pushed himself up off of the hardwood floor he was still laying on.

The teen looked at where he had been laying, seeing the small splatters of dried blood left behind. He took a deep breath but felt another deep pain as if he had been punched in the gut again and let out a groan of agony, before getting himself onto his feet.

Inuyasha looked down at the floor and saw Buyo pawing at his feet, mewing lightly. The teen forced a small smile on his face and slowly made his way back to his bedroom, falling down on his bed. He didn't bother going to the bathroom to look at his face. From the way that he felt, he knew it wouldn't look good.

He knew he had to of been unconscious for most of the night, his alarm clock read: _3:45AM_.

His ashen eyes looked down towards his feet as he felt a small tap against them. Buyo…again.

"Damn cat," he grumbled, moving his foot from side to side feeling the cat play with it. Inuyasha absentmindedly clicked his tongue on the cat's direction.

The small kitten then jumped up onto the bed and pounced towards him, climbing onto his chest and laying down. "I didn't mean for you to fall asleep, idiot…" the teen stated aloud, not particularly caring.

His eyes were beyond tired as he rested them again, his mind drifting towards the thought of Kagome.

What would she say if she saw his face the way it was? She'd know it was Naraku and worst of all she knew that he was nothing but a wuss who can't properly defend himself without fear of retaliation. He tried to take a deep sigh but his side sent another pang through his body, "Fuck…" he quietly said. His ribs had to of been bruised…or possibly fractured for all he knew; the older man had a powerful punch.

There was no way he could show up to school the next day the way he was…but he had already missed a lot. There was only one option for him and that was to go to school and face the stares and Kagome's questions.

—_**xxxxx—**_

The next day, Kagome walked towards the outdoor eating area since the cafeteria was still under construction, looking for her beau. She didn't care if anyone saw them together and told her mother this. She was determined to start living her own life, without a care about what others may think of it.

The brunette spotted whom she was looking for, sitting alone off to the side with a large sweatshirt hoodie on and the hood up over his head.

Her brows furrowed and she quickly walked over sitting down next to him, "Where were you this morning?" she asked, turning his chin towards her and gasping when she saw his face.

His left eye was nearly swollen shut, the dark purple and blue bruise around it nearly made _her _cringe. Above the same eye was a gash about half the length of her pinky, her face was now overcome with worry. "Inuyasha what happened?" she asked, concerned.

"Nothing, it's f—" he began only to get cut off by her.

"Don't give me that bull crap," she retorted, irritated at his attempt to cover up his injuries. She grabbed his hand and stood up, "Come on, we're going to go put ice on your face," she insisted.

He grumbled, not wanting to get up, "It's not that serious…" he tried to convince her.

Kagome gave him a serious look that immediately got him on his feet and following her.

"Your face is quite an improvement, loser," came the voice of one of Kagome's ex-friends. Kagome stopped in her tracks and let Inuyasha's hand go, turning around to the girl who had uttered the comment.

"Listen, unless you want your face to end up how his is right now I suggest you shut your trap or put it to good use and go back to your little service you run after school in the gym, Yura," Kagome snapped. She had taken all that she could take between her worry for her boyfriend's face and his denial about anything being wrong, her mother's distrust and restrictions, and comments that left the mouths of her ex-posse whenever she or Inuyasha would walk by.

The bruised teen's eyes widened as best they could at Kagome's outburst, he had never expected her to say something like that to her used-to-be friends.

The group at the table were shocked as Yura stood up to face Kagome, "Look, we kicked you out of the group, I'm not a slut, but really, to think you're any different from any of us, including me is stupid, Kagome," she scoffed.

"Oh really? Yura, you wanna know the difference between me and you? Here it is: I'm a virgin and I'm not always a bitch. _You_ on the other hand are a bitch and have to use your fingers and toes to count the number of guys you've been with. It's a known fact, don't try and deny it," Kagome snapped, feeling Inuyasha's hand back on hers.

"Come on…it's not worth it, Kagome," he tried to urge her before the group got the attention of any teachers.

Yura's eyes were wide and her face began to turn red with embarrassment and anger. The teen grabbed her bag and quickly walked off, not looking back.

Kagome smirked, feeling a sense of victory, but deep down felt slight guilt over having told her off like that, but the woman deserved it.

Inuyasha looked at the others whom remained at the table, staring between the two of them, then pulled Kagome with him back into the school.

"I don't know what came over me," she explained, walking alongside her beau.

"It was halfway entertaining…I just didn't want you to get in trouble," he said as she began leading him towards the nurse's office.

"Oh…Well I guess I'm just fed up with a lot lately. Anyway, we need to get you a bag of ice for your eye. By the way, what happened? And I want the truth," she demanded sternly.

"Naraku," was his only response.

"He did that to you? Why?" she inquired further, not surprised to find out the eerie man that had paid him a visit was behind his injuries.

"He was mad…And I mouthed off," he said quietly, not wanting to look at her. "Guess my tough exterior is gone now, huh?" he said, laughing once, feeling disgusted with himself.

"I think the tough guy image was gone when you bought me a kitten," she smiled, joking and trying to get Inuyasha to smile for her.

He smirked a bit and looked at her, kissing her lightly, "Touché I guess…"

They reached the nurse's office and Kagome walked in asking for a bag of ice, coming out a minute later and handing it over to Inuyasha who placed it over his eye. "Thank you," he said quietly, looking at the ground.

"You know, if it makes any difference to you; I still think you're tough. And my opinion about you hasn't changed alright?" she said, absent-mindedly playing with one of the pull stings on his sweatshirt.

Inuyasha nodded, "Alright."

—_**xxxxx—**_

The school week had finally ended as it seemed to drag on ceaselessly. Now the rain was pouring down outside, drenching anything in its path that it could.

The two teens were cooped up in Inuyasha's apartment, but neither cared. Kagome had purchased a small cat bed for Buyo and the kitten took full advantage of it, curling into a tiny ball in the corner of the single bedroom.

"I'm so happy tomorrow is Saturday…" Kagome mumbled quietly, her head resting on Inuyasha's chest as they laid together on his bed. He nodded, agreeing, though still felt an ache in his face as the bruise had begun to fade, hardly noticeable to anyone but him and Kagome.

Her fingers traced over his shirtless torso, moving over the receding bruises that were the result of Naraku's beating. "You don't have anything you have to do tomorrow do you?" she asked

Inuyasha looked down at her and shook his head, "No, why?" he pondered.

"Well…I was thinking that maybe I could just spend the night here with you?" she asked quietly.

He smiled a bit and nodded, "Yeah sure…Later I'll go get my stuff set up on the couch and you can take my room," he offered, receiving an amused look from her.

"We're already laying down together, what's different about it being at night?" she asked, moving up and kissing him deeply.

He laughed once and shrugged, "I don't know. Guess I didn't really think that one all the way through."

She nodded, smirking and tipped her head kissing his neck, leaving small rosy marks as she nipped at his skin. Kagome sat up and licked her lips feeling her pulse quicken. Her cheeks heated up in a blush as she pulled her shirt off, leaving her in her bra.

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose and he propped himself up on his elbows, "What are you…" he trailed off watching as her arms moved behind herself and unclasped her bra.

Kagome let out an unsteady breath, feeling anxious, her cheeks bright pink. "I uh…" she began, unable to words out and let her bra straps slide off of her shoulders and down her arms, revealing her breasts to him for the first time. She wasn't sure if it was all too much within the two months that they had been dating, but hadn't regretted it so far. She trusted him and figured it was better than sleeping with him within the first ten minutes of knowing him.

His eyes wandered down to her perk chest, fixated on her orbs. Inuyasha smirked a bit then leaned forward, kissing Kagome deeply, his tongue flicking over her lips, slipping between them. Her arms moved around his neck and she straddled his lap, her tongue teasing his back.

Inuyasha's strong hands trailed over Kagome's sides, moving up towards her breasts, his fingers moving over the perked buds before roaming around to her back to bring her as close to himself as he could.

The teen girl's face became redder as she felt the same aching feeling return from when they were in the park weeks before. She forced her hips to remain still as the urge to rock against his lap arose more and more.

Inuyasha's hands moved back down along her torso, around to the front, moving across her stomach and back up to her breasts, massaging gently drawing a small moan from her lips.

He soon began to feel guilty and though he was moving too fast, not to mention taking advantage of her showing her breasts to him, and sighed softly, pushing her bra back onto her chest and clasping it again.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes glazed over with euphoria.

"I don't know…You don't feel like you _have _to have your shirt off do you?" he asked, worried that the answer would be yes.

"No. What would make you say that? I took my shirt and bra off because I wanted to, not because I felt obligated," she tried to assure him.

"Alright," he said quietly, kissing her neck, his lips trailing down, over her collar bone, and to the tops of her breasts before moving back up, though leaving them covered.

Kagome ran her fingers through Inuyasha's thick tresses before pulling his face back towards hers and kissing him deeply again, ignoring the buzzing in her pocket yet again, already knowing it was her mother calling.

She was just going to have to wait.

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><p><strong>That does it for Chapter 21 ^_^ I know it's short, but that's part of the reason why another chapter will be up in a few short hours! So leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter please!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**Alright guys, here is Chapter 22 as I promised! ^_^ It's a bit short, about the same length as the last chapter, but I think you all will like it.**

**It's a bit different than the other chapters in the beginning but I hope it'll be okay.**

**Let me know what you think of it. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own InuYasha! DX

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 22~<strong>_

_Over a month and a half had passed. Kagome and Inuyasha had continued to see each other, less than secretly now. Kagome's mother had continued to "ground" her and attempt to keep her from seeing the teen rebel, but it didn't work._

_After moving into the new apartment he had his eye on, as he said he would, Inuyasha had kicked his smoking habit for Kagome's sake much to her excitement. They both enjoyed the extra space, as well as Buyo - whom had grown a lot larger…as well as a lot rounder._

_Inuyasha used the extra room for a place for all of his drawings, doodles, and poetry, letting Kagome venture in there whenever she pleased to look at his works. Not all, but some. He had made multiple portraits of her whenever she asked, capturing her image in a beautifully artistic manner._

_With his slightly improving attitude, he had decided to try for a major in graphic design when the time came for college to come around, as the duo sent in college applications together, trying for some colleges apart from each other, and sending in a few to the same school and even considering the community college before going on to bigger ones. The opportunities seemed endless for the duo._

_The onyx-haired teen had also managed to stay mostly off of Naraku's bad side, doing his best to shield Kagome away from him and the other gang members. Never wanting her to spend so much as a second alone around any of them. It was best that the gang members didn't catch a glimpse at what she looked like._

_None of Kagome's ex-friends had given the duo much trouble after the incident in the eating area. The brunette had resigned her spot from student council and had finished more than enough community service hours to respectfully step down from her two club associations. These new freedoms gave her more time to focus on her schoolwork and boyfriend, as well as herself._

_Within the weeks that had passed, Kagome felt as if she was a new person, shedding away the old and welcoming the new and allowing herself to come out of her shell. Better late than never, she would tell herself._

_Inuyasha on the other hand, though managing to stay clear of Naraku's temper for the most part, kept up his drug dealing for the well-being of both him and Kagome. In order to keep the gang leader unsuspicious as well as staying in the clear. He never mentioned what Naraku had nearly done to Buyo, and had done well to avoid having the man visiting his apartment when Kagome was around._

_The teen male, though he saw a fresh and bright looking light at the end of the tunnel, felt as if he was pushed back farther. Between being taunted about Kagome, and the suspicions about her, as well as appearing one other time with bruises over his body and his cheek from fighting with gang members during a jump-in. _

_The young brunette had said nothing to him when the bruises had appeared, and instead told him that when he wanted to talk she would be there to listen. The teen hated lying to her, making up excuses, and keeping things from her, but, in his mind and what he believed to be true in reality was that if she knew, she could be in danger. Her quick tongue would easily anger Naraku, and if he ever laid a finger on her in any way, Inuyasha would be sure he would pay._

_It didn't matter if Naraku had practically raised him, he wouldn't let him or anyone else hurt the only person in his life that had shown him sincere kindness other than his father and a few children now and again when he was under the age of ten and eleven. _

_He didn't even care if Naraku threatened to kill him, it wouldn't be the first time. But for the man to hurt Kagome, Inuyasha wouldn't be able to live with himself._

_That was a few short weeks ago…_

_More recently Kagome had once again spent the night with him, they still lightly touched, kissed, and fell asleep in each other's arms, not wanting to have it any other way, and the brunette still ignored when her mother would call her during the night on her cell-phone when she was at Inuyasha's apartment. Only responding to her text messages._

_Instead of not letting her mother know where she was going, she told her whom she would be with, but not his address and had warned her mother that if the cops were ever called on him because of her, claiming some ridiculous story, they might as well take her too because she would refuse to ever speak to her mother again. Not that she'd say anything against Inuyasha anyway. Her mother's words were empty threats and Kagome knew it._

_The two had been together for just about three and a half months and their relationship only seemed to grow stronger in the time that passed. They had their petty arguments but was always, were sure to make up. But arguments were one thing…_

_Now a new challenge had arose - winter formal._

Inuyasha sat in a chair outside of the dressing rooms, his mind was elsewhere as he held various bags from stores throughout the mall. He was unaware that Kagome had stepped out in nearly the eighth dress that day.

The brunette cleared her throat and rose an eyebrow at her beau, "So how does this one look?" she asked, curious to know his opinion.

Inuyasha nodded once letting out a measly, "Mm…looks fine," only glancing at her, seeing a quick flash of red.

Kagome placed her hands on her hips and stared at him, "You aren't even paying attention! Come on…give me a real opinion about it," she asked, changing her tone from irritated to polite.

He sighed and looked at her, his eyes widened at the sight of her form.

She wore a silk, deep scarlet red, with a rhinestone embroidery across the top midsection, delicately placed below the breasts and hugging the sides of the neck with two straps that were also encrusted with the jewels. It softly clung to her torso before swaying subtly around her legs, giving an airy and elegant feel to her movements as she took a few steps towards him.

"You look beautiful already…" he said quietly, his eyes settling briefly on her cleavage that was exposed from the dip in the dress that cut down to the top of the embroidery, making a 'V' shape. His eyes moved back up to her face, her brown eyes seemed to almost sparkle with excitement.

"I was hoping you'd like it, cause I know I do," she smiled, walking over to him, closer and placing a kiss to his lips.

"I'm going to go change and then I'm buying this, afterwards we can get your tux," she smirked.

He nodded, not entirely thrilled to hear that the shopping spree of hers wasn't quite over and done with yet, but relieved that the winter formal was in a few days. He figured it would be a good break and a relaxing time for both of them. Hopefully without the rude comments from peers.

—_**xxxxx—**_

A few days later, Inuyasha drove to Kagome's home, waiting for her at the end of her driveway. His eyes lit up when he saw her descend down towards him, the light, flowing silk of her dress fit her body perfectly, showing off her beautiful hourglass shaped figure.

As she got closer he saw that her lips were lightly tinted red with just the right amount of gloss over them, her eyeliner was perfectly intact along with her subtle, but impeccable mascara to bring her chestnut eyes more beauty (if possible).

Her lips were drawn into a gorgeous smile, as she held her dress up, revealing only a small bit of her creamy legs, and giving him a glimpse of her red, strappy, open-toed shoes. He admired the way her dark auburn waves flawlessly framed her face. A portion of her hair was pinned back to reveal one ear holding a silver hoop earring.

Kagome's own eyes rested on her knight in shining armor; he had chopped his silky tresses for the occasion, slightly to her disdain, though his hair still fell to the bottom of his neck instead of to his shoulders. He had it neatly tucked behind his ears, showing his small stud piercings. "Hello, beautiful," he said with a gentlemanly grin, walking her around to the other side of the car.

"Hello, sexy. You clean up well," she complemented back, laughing a bit and throwing her arms around his neck kissing him deeply, getting a small bit of her lipstick onto his lips. Kagome giggled again, as if she was a young schoolgirl, and lightly rubbed her thumb over his lips. She stepped back to take another look at his tuxedo. It was the standard black, though he had a vivid crimson red tie.

Inuyasha licked his lips once and smirked at her, opening the car door and gesturing for her to get in, "The chariot awaits, milady," he said courteously. Kagome gave him one more quick peck and slid into the car, shutting the door after making sure her dress was safely inside.

Soon they were off towards the hall where the dance was being held. "If I wasn't mistaken, I would think this was prom," he mused, taking her hand in his as he turned the corner.

"I know, right? But I think prom will be more special, because, for one, it's going to be out of town," she reminded him.

He nodded, "Alright then…" he trailed off distractedly.

"What is it?" she asked worried about what could be on his mind on a night like this.

"Oh nothing, just trying to figure out how I'm going to ask you to prom," he grinned.

Kagome laughed and tipped her head, "You know you don't have to ask…I'm assuming we'll still be dating, so wouldn't it be a given that we'd go?" she asked, looking at their linked hands.

"Well…yes and no, I'm still going to ask. But I'll make sure to do it in a creative way," he smirked.

"I do like surprises," she said, already enthralled with anticipation about what he could have been planning.

The couple arrived to the hotel ballroom where the dance was being held and parked the car, before walking hand in hand into the elegant building.

It seemed as if none of their peers recognized Inuyasha with his suave appearance. Kagome could of sworn she saw at least a handful of teen girls make goo-goo eyes at him and nearly swoon as he walked by them. She felt a light tinge of jealously spark inside of her, and as if he could read her thoughts his strong arm slid around her waist to pull her body closer to his.

Kagome saw a look of envy in a few of their peers. The two walked between two open glass doors that had a floral design printed on them, entering a grand hall, the over hanging chandeliers cast a gorgeous and flattering light on everyone whom entered.

To Inuyasha, Kagome was the only beautiful one there.

The marble floor was a white and off-beige, matching the paint on the walls. They saw a few signs posted around the room, welcoming the students who attended, pointing out where the refreshments and food were and directing people towards the bathrooms.

"This is…nice," Inuyasha said, sounding a bit impressed. He had never before been to any sort of school dance.

Surprisingly Kagome had only been to a total of three, and those were to help arrange and were attended with her friends, she had never been on a _date_ to one, and in those times had only danced with one guy: Hojo.

"Yeah, it is nice…I helped plan this thing before the whole blow up with my friends," she said, quietly with a roll of her eyes.

"Well you did an excellent job, so let's try and enjoy as much of it as we can," he smirked, pulling her close to him. Though dance had technically already been started for twenty minutes, the music and a slow song was just beginning.

Inuyasha placed his hands on her waist, pressing their bodies together and looking into her eyes. Kagome's eyes widened and she was sure a blush had spread over her features, trying to look away. Inuyasha only laughed a bit and tipped her chin up towards his, kissing her deeply.

The brunette's eyes closed as she deepened the embrace, her arms slipping around his neck, as they gently swayed to the music. Both unaware and uncaring about whom was watching them.

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><p><strong>Alright so this chapter was a bit short too, but this is just about as short as they ever get. Most of the chapters are going to be much longer than this. And since you guys get two today it'll be okay, right? Right? *SHOT*<strong>

**Anywho…^_^;;; Leave me a review letting me know what you think, yes?**


	23. Chapter 23

**PLEASE READ! ABOUT THE DELAY: **First I just want to thank you all for your patience, it means a lot to me and I'm so sorry I didn't get to reply to your reviews! Fanfiction completely screwed me because not only would it not allow me to reply to reviews by telling me that everyone didn't accept private messages, but then, when the weekend came around it decided to say "Unable to upload, empty document" when I attempted uploading Renegade! *Pulls hair out* That was last week/weekend. Now, the weekend before that was my fault. I was just way too busy with school projects, research, college apps and essay.

^^^Which I'm still busy with, but hey I've gotten into two colleges already! ^_^ 2/4 that I applied to, still waiting to hear back from the other two. Then I'll start sending in ones to UCs in Nov- *SHOT*

**Anywho enough of my hectic/personal life xD Onto Chapter 23!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha!**

_**~Chapter 23~**_

The night passed on, going surprisingly well for the couple. Kagome made small chat here and there to a few people whom hadn't shunned her, while Inuyasha remained mostly indifferent. No one had made any rude comments towards them and had let them be.

Though, a few of Kagome's ex-friends had passed by them, more than likely to get a good view of the two and Inuyasha's transformation.

The teen girl had received numerous comments about her appearance, and Inuyasha only the rare nod, to acknowledge his existence so things wouldn't have gotten awkward. Many of the guys still seemed to be intimated by the teen, though he didn't particularly care whether they feared him or not.

Inuyasha had surprised Kagome with his knowing how to dance fairly well, even better than she. They went to the photographer that was set up in the hall and had their pictures taken and ordering them for later.

It was one of the best times she had ever had, and it was the same for him as well. It was the first time in a long time they had each had true peace and no drama to face.

The wind outside had turned even chillier as the couple stepped out of the suave hotel where the winter formal had been held. Kagome leaned against Inuyasha's shoulder, her arm linked with his and they walked towards the car.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Inuyasha," she said, squeezing his arm gently.

"Yeah, amazingly, so did I," he replied, having earlier thought it wouldn't have been much fun.

"Well, maybe it was because you were with _me_," she mused, only kidding.

"Yeah, probably. Or maybe the food was just good," he joked back.

"Oh haha, you're soooo funny," she grinned and nudged him.

Before he was able to respond with one of his smart-ass comments the young couple heard a voice come from behind them. "You looked pretty tonight, Kagome," a passing peer said in the parking lot.

"Thanks, you too," she politely responded back, watching as the girl looked at Inuyasha, making her date stop with her.

"You looked good tonight too, Inuyasha. Hardly anyone recognized you," the teen said with a smile before walking away with her date once more.

His grey eyes widened with the unexpected compliment. He had gotten a few during the night but she was the first to stop and compliment him with sincere impression, "W-What…" he looked at Kagome with a raised eyebrow whom was just as shocked as he was.

"I guess people are finally starting to realize you don't bite," she grinned looking up at him.

"Well…not much," he playfully said, snapping his teeth at her, making her laugh before continuing to walk towards the car.

Once they were in, the onyx-hair teen looked at his gorgeous counterpart, "Where do you want to go, Madame?"

"Where do you think?" she smirked at him, leaning over and kissing him deeply. Inuyasha returned the embrace and gently nipped at her lower lip.

"Alright, we can go back to my place. But only for a little while," he smiled.

The brunette gave a pout, "Why only a little while?" she asked, stroking her fingers through his hair.

Inuyasha shrugged, "Because I think you should spend at least some time at your place. I mean…your mom isn't the nicest person, but you're still her daughter, you know?" he tried to reason. "Plus…Naraku might be coming by my place later tonight, so I don't want you to be around," he continued.

"Oh…That's all you had to say," she responded, trying to not think much about her mother, though she knew that he was telling the truth. She and her mother had not been on speaking terms most days, only bothering to say one or two sentences to one another.

He nodded and pulled out of the parking lot, heading to his apartment.

Soon after, they had arrived, Inuyasha took her hand and quickly led her up the stairs in the complex, not wanting anyone see them. Kagome did her best to keep up with him, "I can only move so fast in heels you know," she laughed lightly once they had stopped and gotten inside his apartment.

"Sorry…I was just being careful," he explained, kissing her once as in apology then grimaced when he felt a sharp, annoying pain in his calf. "Damn cat is trying to climb up my leg…" he said through gritted teeth looking down at the accused feline that was attempting to do as said.

"Aw, Buyo, you just like Inuyasha, don't you?" Kagome asked in a baby-talk voice, pulling the cat from her beau's leg and cradling him in her arms as if he was a baby.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed her to his bedroom, "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to get one of his toys. You keep them in the closet right?"

"Well now, since he drags them all over the apartment if I don't," he grumbled. He wouldn't say he disliked the cat, but it definitely wasn't his favorite of all animals.

Kagome nodded and opened the closet door, her eyes scanned for said toys, "Is this them?" she asked curiously, furrowing her brows, letting the cat from her arms and reaching for a medium sized brown box.

"No!" he said urgently, taking the box from her hands and placing it back to where she had gotten it from.

"Wait a minute," she paused in thought, "I've never seen that before, what is it, Inuyasha?" she asked suspiciously of his behavior.

"It's nothing important…" he trailed off reaching for the actual box of cat toys and handing it over to her.

He could tell that she was growing irritated at his avoidance of what was in the box. He knew she hated when he'd lie to her instead of just saying he didn't want her to look or know about something, "They're just…pictures," he finally came clean.

"Then why didn't you just say that?" she asked, frustrated. She didn't want the perfect evening to end with her annoyed at him, so she immediately tried to calm down as he explained.

"I…don't know. I'm just used to having to keep things a secret. Especially this, that's all," he tried to reason.

"It's fine. I keep forgetting to be patient," she sighed, "Are they pictures of you?" she asked, taking out a small mouse toy and tossing it to Buyo, watching him catch it and quickly duck under Inuyasha's bed with it.

"A few. They're mostly of my mother and father," he said looking down, not knowing why he had kept it a secret from her. He could only figure it was because the pictures were almost the most important thing to him in his life, and the only images he had of his mother. He'd kept them a secret all his life, not wanting Naraku or any of the other gang members to get a hold of them.

He took the box down once more and gestured for Kagome to follow him. The couple walked to the living room and sat down on his couch. They turned their bodies towards each other and he placed the box between them, opening it up and taking out a smaller metal box with a pink floral design over it, engraved with the name _Izayoi_.

Kagome took notice to the name and tilted her head slightly, "Is that your mother's name?" she asked quietly, receiving a nod from the teen across from her.

He opened the tin and grabbed a handful of the photographs, handing them to Kagome who began looking through them. Inuyasha moved the box to his other side and scooted closer to her body.

"Wow, she was beautiful," she said, looking between the photo of a young woman with raven hair and Inuyasha. "You look just like her," she smiled. She studied the picture, admiring the summer sun-dress the woman was wearing and her bright smile that only seemed to make the picture brighter.

"My dad took the picture…it was the day they met," he said quietly, taking the picture as Kagome handed it to him and placing it gently in the metal case again.

The next photograph was of both his mother and father. "Whoa…your dad was tall," Kagome commented, "You kinda look like him too."

"Yeah…he was tall and my mom was really short. But I guess anything next to him would be considered short," he laughed once.

Kagome giggled a bit and nodded, leaning against him arm.

The following photograph was of an exhausted looking Izayoi holding a baby, even with her defeated looking body she had managed a sleepy looking smile that still made her look beautiful.

Kagome felt Inuyasha tense up, "I thought…she uhm…" she trailed off.

"She did. That picture was taken ten minutes before she passed away. They didn't know it at the time, but she had an aneurysm, it just didn't show. It's the only picture I have of her holding me and of her and me in the same picture, period," he said.

Kagome was almost sure she heard his voice falter. She placed the rest of the pictures in the metal box and turned her body more towards him and tipped her head up, kissing him lightly, "It's alright…" she spoke softly against his lips.

He smiled a bit, and felt a knot tighten in his throat, he didn't want to tear up in front of her, not now. Not ever. Inuyasha kissed her back, closing his eyes and trying to distract his mind. "C-can we hold off looking at more until tomorrow or something?" he asked, knowing that if he looked at anymore tears would form.

Kagome understood and nodded, "Yeah, I'm sorry," she apologized, hugging him and pressing her lips to his once more.

"It's getting late," he mumbled softly into the kiss.

"Okay." Kagome stood and brushed off her dress grabbing his hand.

"Thanks," he smiled making her do the same.

—_**xxxxx—**_

As Inuyasha stepped back into the apartment, tired, and nearly emotionally spent he saw the man he had warned Kagome about earlier. Naraku.

He sighed not wanting to know what he would want. "Naraku?"

"Hello, Inuyasha. I came over to give you a job…but I've gotten distracted. Why didn't you ever tell me you had such a beautiful mother?" he deviously commented more than asked.

The teens heart sank and panic rose and he quickly began walking over to where Naraku was. _'I'm so fucking stupid…I didn't put the pictures back!'_ he scolded himself, dumbfounded on how he could have forgotten to do that.

"Stay over there. What was the worst thing you'd think I'd do to the pictures?" Naraku grinned, looking at the terrified teen. "There's over a hundred in here. But I think the sweetest is of your mother and father kissing, or maybe the one of her holding you…the picture of him proposing to her?" He began laughing darkly.

"What's your personal favorite, Inuyasha?" he asked, standing up and placing the box on the coffee table.

"I…I don't know," he said back, his heart was beating a million miles per hour, he could hear the pounding in his ears as the blood rushed by.

"Really? Come on, you have to have a favorite one…I mean you never knew the bitch right?" Naraku taunted him.

"Don't call her that!" Inuyasha yelled at him, hardly able to control himself, shaking with anger from the way Naraku invaded his personal space.

"What? Bitch? Oh I'm sorry…I should have more respect for the dead. But why should I have respect for her killer?" he teased again, grinning evilly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, "What…" he gasped out, trying to get his breathing under control, feeling as if he was having a panic attack.

"Her _killer_. You did kill her after all. She wouldn't have died if you hadn't of been born. You said yourself, she died shortly after giving birth to you," the older male said, reaching into his pocket.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha said, feeling a lump in his throat, only making his breathing harder. He didn't know why Naraku affected him in this way. But he knew that the older male was aware of what happened to him. His fury was building inside of him, wanting to strike out at the older man.

"You're such a pussy, you won't even defend your dead mother's name as I defile it. Izayoi, is it?" he asked, "Such a pretty name. Your father was a lucky man…well until his only son _killed_ his beloved."

Inuyasha felt his face grow hot, and his thoughts raced, "Shut the fuck up!" he yelled nearly at the top of his lungs.

"'Shut the fuck up'?" Naraku laughed and pulled his hand from his pocket and turned his back to Inuyasha.

"You've been such a prick to me, just because I'm with Kagome! Now get out!" Inuyasha shouted again, taking a few more steps towards the gang leader.

"A prick?" Naraku repeated, his back to the teen.

Inuyasha didn't know what the older male was doing until he heard a familiar sound and smelled the familiar scent:

A match striking…and the smell of something burning.

"Now, this is what you call being a prick," the older male said calmly, walking past Inuyasha as the blaze in the metal box started, leaving the apartment with a slam of the door.

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he ran towards the box, dumping it out onto the coffee table, ignoring the slight burns his hands received from the heated metal. He took off his tux jacket and quickly snuffed out the flames that lingered on a few of the photographs that had been on top.

He searched through, looking at each picture, scared of what he might find.

A few pictures were singed at their edges, and heading into the actual image.

A picture of his father had been burnt, lucky his face had been unmarred. A few of the minor pictures burned were of his mother picking flowers, part of her face having been lost. A blurry picture was burned; but he didn't care about those.

The final picture he saw that was burned was of his mother holding him. The sides had been singed, and the flames had almost reached him. It cut off part of the blanket he was wrapped in, but the majority of the image had been spared from the flames.

He let out an uneven sigh, his anger finally returning, replacing the panic that had stricken his being. _'I fucking hate him…'_ he angrily thought of the older male whom had set the photos ablaze.

The teen looked back at the picture of his mother holding his infant self and felt a tear streak down his cheek.

He wiped it away and put the pictures back where they belonged, taking them into his room, to put them in a new hiding place he knew they would never be found.

'_I have to get away from this place…'_ he silently thought to himself in the dark silence of his apartment.

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><p><strong>And that does it for this chapter…*SHOT* I know DX I can't go more than a chapter without some sort of drama occurring but…it's what the story's about! Don't hunt me down! Please… O.O;;;<strong>

**Anywho, I hope you all review and let me know what you think. ^_^**


	24. Chapter 24

**Alright so I think you guys deserve a double update weekend, wouldn't you agree? I would, anyway, here is Chapter 24 and I'm going to try and get Maid For Seduction up by the end up the weekend, it's getting fairly hard to decide where to take it. =.=**

**Anywho, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own InuYasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 24~<strong>_

A two weeks had passed since winter formal and it was now winter break. It was a much needed vacation at that, Kagome was happy to having finally gotten some time off from school to just relax and spend time with her beau. Except for the fact that the season was beginning to show how cold it could actually become.

Kagome sat at her kitchen table, mindlessly poking at the plate of spaghetti in front of her that she had found in the refrigerator. She sighed, upset that she hadn't heard from Inuyasha in over three days. The brunette knew he was still upset over the incident that had happened shortly after he had dropped her back off at her home, and he had every right to be.

The teen was shocked when he had text her and told her about it. She was shocked, appalled, and more than angry with Naraku, despite having only met him for a short period of time.

Kagome let her fork fall from her fingers with a soft _clang_ against the plate that sat in front of her. She just wasn't in the mood to eat, especially not with her mind occupied with Inuyasha's well being.

Her eyes looked up when the lights over the dining table flicked on, she looked over her shoulder and saw her mother standing in the entryway.

"Hello," the elder said in a quiet, calm tone. The teen eyed her warily, inwardly preparing herself for any lectures that were to come her way.

"Hey," she replied, turning her attention back to the food in front of her and gently pushing it away, giving up on eating it.

Kagome's mother took the seat to the right of the head of the table; the head of the table being where Kagome was sitting. The older of the two took a deep breath, as if debating about what she was preparing to say.

The teen brunette's eyes stayed on the sleek oak table beneath her fingers as she lightly traced invisible shapes on it with her nail.

"You really like this boy don't you?" her mother said, finally breaking the slightly awkward silence.

Kagome didn't respond with words and only nodded twice, she didn't know where her mother was preparing to go with this talk, and she couldn't say she was particularly looking forward to it either.

"Well…I've realized that, unfortunately, I cannot stop you from seeing him," she began.

"You should know to trust me…" Kagome quickly commented with a slight roll of her eyes, still looking at the polished wood, watching the hazy refection of the overhead lights.

"I do. It's him I don't really trust," her mother continued.

The teen laughed once, "You should probably trust him more than you trust me. He's wanted me to actually stay home and give you a chance to talk and plead your case," Kagome interrupted. "He's more understanding than I am," she added as her fingers making short loops on the tabletop.

Her mother had a look of surprise on her face, "I see…I just have a few questions," she asked, her tone turning more stern.

"Go ahead," Kagome huffed out, figuring it to be better to sit through what her mother wanted to say now rather than fighting about it later. She had to admit that she was growing tired of the silent treatments and arguing.

"Does he hit you?" her mother began with.

"No. He's sometimes too gentle…" Kagome commented, unknowingly causing her mother to panic.

"What do you mean too gentle? Have you two been having sex?" her mother asked urgently.

The younger brunette looked up at her mother, "No. You can believe me or you can not. But I'm still a virgin, mom, you can sleep soundly tonight," she said, turning her attention back down to the oak.

"I believe you…I'm not going to ask about any experiences he has had sexually," her mother trailed off, fiddling with her hands.

"Good, cause I wouldn't tell you whether or not he has any. It's not your business," Kagome said just as sternly as her mother had earlier.

"Let's just try and keep this calm, Kagome, okay?" her mother replied, not wanting to fight with her daughter anymore either. "I know you're still not happy with me, but I have a few more questions. Does he do drugs?"

"No," she shortly responded.

"Drink or smoke?"

"Why do you want to know all this anyway?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at her mother again.

"I just want to make sure you're safe when you leave here," she replied defensively.

"Mom…I'm eighteen, in a few months I'll be nineteen. I can handle myself fairly well. I know right from wrong, you taught me that much…kind of," she sighed, brushing her hair out of her face and pulling it into a messy ponytail.

"I know…Just…there are pressures out there in the world and with the wrong crowd those pressures can seem more like obligations rather than choices, if that makes sense," her mother attempted to warn her.

"And I'd hope you know I'm smarter than that and can make my own responsible decisions. If you want a _shocker_, I've been offered drugs from some my ex-friends and _none_ from Inuyasha. He's never asked, he's never wanted to, he's never tried to get me to."

"Okay, I can tell you're getting irritated, so we'll leave this conversation until another time, okay?" her mother said, standing up from the table and starting to walk away, calmly, clearly holding back a surprised look on her face from hearing what her daughter's ex-posse had done.

"Alright. Mom…" Kagome said quietly.

"Yes, Kagome?" her mother responded, turning around and seeing her daughter stand up and walk over towards her.

"Although you make me angry sometimes, you're still my mom and I love you. Just…let me breathe and make my own choices, okay? Please?" the teen asked.

Her mother took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay. You're going to be graduating soon. I'm a fool to think that I can guard you from the world forever." She gently hugged her daughter, whom returned the embrace.

"I'm going to go to bed…" Kagome said, breaking the hug and walking away, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

—_**xxxxx—**_

Kagome laid down in her bed, feeling a bit more at ease from her hot, relaxing bath, and the talk with her mother.

Her chestnut locks fanned out behind her and she settled under her covers, grabbing her cell-phone and flipping it open, checking her messages.

_1 new message from Inuyasha_.

A smile grew on her lips, happy to finally hear from him.

_What are you doing?_

Her eyes looked over the text and her brows furrowed, he would usually text her more than that especially after not seeing her a few days in a row.

_I'm not doing anything right now, just laying in bed._

She waited a few minutes before seeing the reply appear on her phone.

_Well laying there is doing something._ He responded in his usual smart-ass way.

She smiled a bit and text back: _Where have you been? You haven't talked to me in a few days…And how's Buyo?_

_Your cat is fine. Sorry, I was just busy with crap for Naraku._

_He still doesn't know you have a cell phone right?_

_Nope._

_You're being quiet_. She text, noticing that his responses where shorter than usual. _What's wrong? _She immediately sent afterwards.

_Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired. But I do want to see you. Tomorrow night maybe?_ he asked.

Kagome pursed her lips not fully believing him but having not way to tell for sure through the electronic messages. _Yeah. Just come pick me up at when? Five?_

_That sounds perfect. Goodnight._

_Goodnight_.

—_**xxxxx—**_

The next day, Kagome walked into Inuyasha's apartment with his hands over her eyes and him guiding her slowly. She smelled a heavenly scent that immediately made her stomach growl. "What is that? I didn't even realize I was hungry," she laughed lightly.

"It's just something I whipped up," she could practically hear the grin in his voice as he led her to his table and helped her sit down. "Okay, now…keep your eyes closed okay?" he smirked and kissed her cheek, moving his hands away from her still shut lids.

She nodded and impatiently waited for what was awaiting her.

She heard the gentle setting down of a plate and the intoxicating aroma wafted directly into her senses, the urge to open her eyes was nearly overwhelming. Her mouth began to water as her hunger grew. "This smells so good…but what is it?" she asked curiously.

He didn't respond and instead only let her hear the soft clang of a knife and fork on the plate as he cut away a portion of the food and placed the small bit on the fork slightly against her lips. Kagome happily accepted it and thought she had just bit into something from a five-star restaurant. She turned her head towards him, knowing he was sitting beside her.

"Oh my goodness…Inuyasha, this is delicious. What is it?" she asked, still keeping her eyes closed and taking another bite as he held it against her awaiting mouth.

"It's roast beef," he laughed a bit, "You can open your eyes now," he added.

Her eyes lit up and stared at the medium-rare slices of beef on her plate accompanied by fluffy mashed potatoes and peas. "This all looks amazing, how long did it take you to do this?" she asked, astonished.

"Not too long, I'd like to say an hour, but maybe longer," he shrugged. He took a bite of the food on the plate in front of them.

"Well I didn't know you were a chef too," she smiled, "Why'd you do all this for me though?"

"Because I haven't talked to you everyday like a good boyfriend should…and it is our four month anniversary so-to-speak," he replied, feeding her another bite and pushing her drink closer to her, which was in a wine glass.

"Oh…I didn't even realize it," she blushed a bit and looked at the glass, picking it up and taking a sip, "Soda?" she laughed some and kissed him gently.

"Well I wouldn't think you'd want the wine. It's either soda, wine, beer, or water," he commented, gesturing towards the tiny amount that he had in front of him.

"What makes you assume that?" she asked, taking a few more nibbles of the food, it hitting the right spot in her no longer growling stomach.

"Uhm…I don't know," he grinned, "Plus I don't think your mother would appreciate her daughter coming home buzzed," he added.

"Do I _have_ to go home?" she asked a wider smirk appearing on her lips.

"I guess not," he grinned and kissed her gently, passing his glass to her. "You might not like it though."

"It's better than beer," she said knowingly.

"You've drank before?" he asked skeptically.

"I'm not as goody-goody as you might think," she commented taking a slow, but long sip of the wine, running her tongue over both of her lips as she took the glass away.

"Well, I guess you learn something new everyday," he whispered, leaning back in and kissing her deeply, his tongue slipping into her mouth, tasting the sweet alcohol on her lips. She set the glass down and pulled him closer, one of her hands tangled in the back of his hair and the other on his shoulder.

It didn't take long until they were both slightly buzzed on the liquor (after a couple of repeated refillings) and done with their meal. The couple moved to Inuyasha's bedroom, closing the door, locking Buyo out.

"Why'd you do that?" Kagome gasped lightly, her hands moving to undo her jacket and toss it off. Inuyasha shrugged and tipped his head down, kissing along the slope of her neck. As she undid the button to her jeans and slid them off, stepping out of them.

"I don't want that cat jumping on the bed with us like last time…" he trailed off, nipping at her throat, leaving small rosy love-bites in his wake.

The teen brunette twisted her fingers in his shirt and pulled him onto the bed, her legs moved around his waist as her head settled back into the pillows. Her light moans filled the room, she enjoyed the feeling of the scruff of his subtle stubble and his lips as they trailed over her collar bone.

Kagome shifted and removed her shirt, tossing it elsewhere in the room and let her eyes lock on his motions. His tongue trailed over the soft top curve of her breasts, before his hands reached under her and unclasped her bra, tossing it off the bed.

His lips moved over her aroused nipples, his tongue flicking over them, wetting the perked buds. Kagome's back arched slightly and her own appendage wet her lips.

His warm breath tickled down her body, before his eyes glanced up at her, his lips kissing the flat planes of her stomach.

Dark hazel eyes met with ashen ones, "What is it?" she lightly panted out, not catching on.

"Did…you want to try something different this time?" he huffed out, his thumbs hooking under the sides of her panties, tugging lightly trying to tip her off.

Kagome tilted her head a bit in her tipsy haze and a few seconds passed before her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened. "Oh…I…" her heartbeat began to quicken, both excited and nervous about the thought of his mouth going there for the first time. The most they had ever done was kissing and him touching her breasts and moving his lips over them, and he had only seen her completely naked once.

Inuyasha seemed to snap out of his buzzed state, "Kagome…ah…dammit I'm sorry. I didn't mean to move so fast, I…" he began, starting to lift himself up, ashamed that he'd ask her something like that, especially when both were under the influence, even though it was only a minimal amount.

"Wait…" she gasped out, her bit her lower lip, thinking it over. "I want to," she blurted out, her heart practically flew out of her chest. "It just took a minute to process," she laughed out softly.

His eyes widened, "But…I don't want to take advantage of you like this," he replied, sitting up and taking his thumbs out of the sides of her panties..

"You aren't," she smiled, sitting up with him and kissing him, "I know what I want…" she responded convincingly, brushing her lips over his. "Just…how many girls have you done this to?" she asked, worriedly.

"None, actually," he replied honestly.

Kagome grinned and laid back again letting him remove her underwear. His heated breath hit her stomach, his tongue flicking over her skin, sending shivers over her body.

Her body was practically begging for what she knew would be coming soon as his lips trailed along each of her inner thighs. Kagome's fingers intertwined in Inuyasha's silky tresses, her chest rising and falling with anticipation and her eyes unfocused.

She felt his wet appendage flick across her skin, moving closer and closer to her core. Her eyes closed and she attempted to steady her nerves, not being able to help herself from gasping loudly from his first unsure lap against her slick folds.

Inuyasha was just as anxious as she was, moving his tongue up one side between her lower lips, around her clit, avoiding it directly, and down the other side. He hoped he was doing okay and from the way she moaned in surprise he felt more sure of himself.

His unsure laps slowly started to become confident strokes of his tongue, running it across her aroused clit.

The sudden contact caused her hips to jerk in excitement and her hands to tighten their grip in his hair. Her back arched more off of the bed and a moan slipped from her parted lips, "Inuyasha…"

His charcoal eyes glanced up at her as his tongue traced right underneath her sensitive clit as his hands slid over her thighs caressingly. He placed a gentle kiss over the small bud before sliding the slick appendage over it tantalizingly.

It was driving her insane. Kagome had no idea that it could feel so good. She had read and done her research but the actual experience made the articles in magazines pale in comparison, at least in her mind. Her hips began to rock against her mouth and her hands tugged more in his tresses.

Inuyasha moved his lips away from her aching core, kissing up her thigh once more, smirking inwardly to himself that he had gotten the hang of it and was able to give her pleasure. His index and middle fingers of his right hand moved to her lower region, rubbing over her clit.

A wanting groan was heard from her lips as his fingers moved back and forth across the pink bead.

Kagome felt a flush wash over her body and her toes began to curl, she knew what was about to happen though she had never experienced one before, "Y…Yasha…I…" she panted, her breathes became ragged.

He seemed to know what she was trying to tell him, his mouth immediately retook it's place against her core as his fingers moved away. His tongue lapped against her slick folds, every few strokes hitting her clit in various patterns so Kagome didn't know what to expect.

Her fingers tightened and loosened in his hair as her toes curled and her body tensed. She let out a loud moan of pleasure feeling her first orgasm hit her body, sending chills over her skin. Her back was sharply arched and her eyes were tightly closed, her lips parted letting out the near-breathtaking moan.

As she came down from her bliss her eyes opened and she laid against the bed panting harshly. Her brown orbs could hardly focus and she grew a wide smile and began to giggle and gasp as his tongue still lapped against her.

Inuyasha soon picked up his head, licking his lips and smirking at her, "What's so funny?" he asked, knowing she wasn't really laughing at anything.

"I dunno…I just feel funny…and _amazing!_" she said, sitting up, feeling a bit dizzy from what she just experienced.

He grinned and kissed her neck lightly, his hands stroking over her sides.

Her eyes wandered down, noticing the prominent strain on his jeans. "Uhm…" she began to try and say without blushing, though it wasn't working.

He nodded already knowing what she was acknowledging. "I'll go and take care of it," he smiled a bit uncomfortably from the tight feeling he felt below his belt line.

Before she could say anything he had gotten up and headed out into the hallway to the bathroom.

She felt bad and as if _she_ had taken advantage of _him_ since she didn't return the favor. Though she couldn't have said she wouldn't have been a thousand times more anxious than he already was. The thought rang in the back of her mind as to why he didn't ask for her to help him in the way he had helped her. As her mind was wandering she redressed herself in her underwear.

By the time he had returned from the bathroom, and before she could question him she had fallen asleep from her spent energy and the remaining buzz of wine. She looked peaceful, and he smiled a bit looking over her body. He slid into bed with her and covered their bodies with the blanket and drifted off to sleep with her.

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><p><strong>And that was that, see? No angst this time for the most part! ^_^;;; *SHOT* DX<strong>

**Anyway, (I know people will be wondering) Inuyasha's reasoning for not letting her "pay him back" is…going to be discussed in a later chapter! :D *SHANKED***

**DX DAMMIT!**

**Anyway, enough of my spazzing, leave a review and let me know what you think! ^_^**

**Again, MAID FOR SEDUCTION will hopefully be up by the end of this weekend. I just need to figure out what to do with it. It's surprisingly hard xD;; I find Renegade so much easier.**


	25. Chapter 25Happy Thanksgiving

**PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU HANG ME! **Alright guys **I am so so sooo sorry **that these **updates haven't come for quite awhile**. Please understand that **when I say I've been busy that I've been BUSY**. **Trying to get college apps **done since the **deadline is the 30****th**.

I've also been **busy with Journalism Club, Halloween, one of my dogs got really really sick (though she's a little better now), birthday parties for this kid I babysit, PMSing (tmi, I know, sorry). Getting ready for senior debates which is a bitch and a half**, stressing over **semester finals coming up, MY INTERNET HAS BEEN DOWN DX** and just A BUNCH OF OTHER SHIT *CRIES*

Anywho, **please don't take these as excuses or me getting upset at people asking where Renegade and MFS are**, trust me **I understand**. I'd wonder where they are as well. **So thank you to those who have stuck around and who are being so very patient. It means a lot. **^_^ So anyway, you've waited long enough. Here is RENEGADE

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own InuYasha! And HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 25~<strong>_

Birds were chirping outside the window, accompanied by a faint purr.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and came face to face with Buyo whom was curled up on his chest, asleep. He sighed and turned his head to the side seeing no sign of Kagome in his bed. His hands touched the sheets and felt the coolness under his fingertips realizing that she hadn't been there for awhile.

His eyes drifted over towards his open bedroom door and furrowed his brows, then felt a bit panicked, afraid that he had forced into doing something that she hadn't truly wanted to do last night. The young teen picked the sleeping cat up off of his chest and placed him gently down on the covers, waking the feline for a few short seconds before it curled back up.

Inuyasha got out of bed and headed up to the kitchen catching a smell of something cooking, he breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted his girlfriend making pancakes, "Hey sleepy head," she said cheerfully.

"Hey…" He smiled, walking over to her.

"What's wrong? You looked scared when you walked in here, thought I was burning the apartment down?" she asked, amused by what she thought was a trivial worry.

"No, not that…I had just thought you left cause you were upset or something," he mumbled, kissing her neck before straightening back up and preparing to head to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Oh? No, why would I be upset?" she asked, moving the last pancake out of the pan and onto a plate before following him and leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.

"I don't know," he said quietly, turning on the faucet and brushing his teeth, hoping she'd drop it.

"Yes you do. Tell me, Inuyasha," she said sternly, getting annoyed by his attempt to avoid her earlier question.

"Sorry. I just thought you hadn't really been okay with what we did last night," he managed to get out, looking at her in the mirror above his sink.

Her cheeks tinted pink and she smiled, "Oh, no. I-I liked it, it felt really nice," she said, biting her lower lip, remembering the experience. Her mind then clicked back to reality as he finished brushing his teeth with, smiling to himself.

"Why, uhm, didn't you want me to…you know?" she asked shyly, unsure of how she would have even handled the situation if he had of wanted her to go down on him.

"I just didn't," he said quietly, walking past her and going back to the kitchen.

Kagome sighed, frustrated, and followed him, "Just tell me. There's no reason you have to guard yourself from me, okay? You can trust me, Inuyasha," she said, turning him towards her and tipping her head up to kiss him.

He kissed her back for a short second before breaking it. "I'm just not used to sharing everything about myself," he explained.

"I know, but you'll never get used to it if you don't start," she tried to reason, pulling him closer to her and throwing her arms around his neck, kissing him deeper.

Inuyasha nodded, knowing she was right, kissing her back, placing his arms around her lower back, "I uhm…"

"You don't have anything I can catch right?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"No, no, nothing like that. I just…don't like them," he said, looking at her.

Kagome looked away, a bit bothered that he had already experienced one. "Oh…"

"I've only had one once if that's what's bothering you," he quickly added, "When I was fifteen…during my first time, the woman did it cause I guess I wasn't…aroused enough for her, so she…yeah. I guess since because of the way it happened, I don't like them. It wasn't very pleasurable and it was rushed."

"Oh," she said, looking back at him. "Well…we could always try. And we could take it slow," she said quietly, giving him a light peck to his lips.

"Maybe another time," he agreed, rubbing her back gently.

"There are other things I could do…" she suggested, pressing her lips against his, lightly teasing his lower lip with her tongue.

He smirked a bit, "Like?"

Kagome felt her heart pound in her chest, she had never done anything like what she was about to do. Her fingers moved to the front of his sleeping pants and pushed them off of his hips slowly. "Ah…" she gasped as her fingers brushed over his limp shaft. She had never seen him exposed and glanced down as her fingers lightly curled around it.

Inuyasha felt his body get hot with ever gentle movement of her digits. He looked at her face, seeing her eyes glued to his cock in her hand. "That feels nice," he said quietly, seeing a smile come to her lips.

Her fingers stroked along his length more, and she tipped her head up, kissing his neck as her free hand trailed over his bare chest.

Kagome gasped, feeling his cock harden more and more with every few strokes of her hand.

"Come here…" he said lowly, moving her hand gently and led her over to the couch. Kagome sat down expecting him to join her but instead he disappeared into the hall only to return a few seconds later with a small hand towel.

He sat down beside her and kissed her deeply, smiling a bit into the kiss, letting a soft moan slip as her hand retook its place. She moved her palm over the underside of his now fully erect cock, and glanced down, seeing clear fluid at the head of his shaft.

Kagome knew it was his precum since she had done her fair share of research on the internet. She moved her thumb over the head of his cock, slicking it. Her fingers trailed along the velvety sides of his shaft, her stroke getting faster.

Inuyasha let out another groan against her lips, pulling her closer to him with a slight smirk on his lips. Kagome flicked her tongue out against his lips again, "Feel good?" she whispered, feeling his cock thrust into her hand from his now rocking hips.

"Yeah…ah," he panted out, feeling himself grow closer to orgasm. The feel of her delicate fingers playing over his skin, and moving along his shaft was bringing him closer to the edge. Inuyasha focused on the movements of her hand and the way her soft, rosy lips felt against his own.

Kagome broke the kiss, panting softly, her eyes focused down on the throbbing shaft in her hands.

Inuyasha closed his eyes tighter and let out a throaty groan as his seed shot from his cock in three spurts onto the firm planes of his stomach. His chest rose and fell and he opened his eyes, looking from his torso to Kagome's face, seeing her own expression seemingly in shock but satisfied.

The brunette felt a sense of accomplishment, happy that she was able to bring her boyfriend somewhat of the same that he had helped her to feel the previous night. She continued to stroke his shaft for a few long seconds afterwards, earning a few soft moans before Inuyasha wiped his seed from his stomach with the towel.

Kagome kissed him deeply as he tucked himself back into his pajama pants, "That felt nice, Kagome," he said against her lips with a smile before slyly slipping his tongue into her awaiting mouth. Their tongues intertwined and the young teen raked her nails carefully over Inuyasha's chest.

"You're welcome…I liked doing it," she said, feeling her cheeks flush.

They both stood up from the couch, sharing another short kiss, and headed back towards the kitchen after remembering that Kagome had prepared breakfast for them.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Inuyasha walked down the sidewalk, the cold December air whipped across his face. It forced him to shiver slightly, though he didn't pay it a second thought.

The teen had dropped Kagome back off at her house, knowing Naraku wanted him over that night. There was no way he was going to let Naraku be near her again if he could help it. He sighed, brushing some of his hair from his face as he stared up at the large apartment complex.

A sense of dread washed over him, usually nothing new when he'd get close to his gang's activities…but there was something worse about it this time.

Inuyasha had half a mind to turn back the way he came. But he couldn't.

He walked into the building, taking a deep breath. Slowly ascending the steps the sinking feeling in his stomach grew. Every bit of his being told him to turn back. To stop. Going further would only spell trouble.

His eyes glanced around the dark stairwell, hearing the soft, distant murmurs of vaguely familiar voices. As he reached the second flight of steps he saw two men leaning against the wall. They looked at him and smirked.

"Hey Inuyasha," one of them said, turning away and leaving with the other, going up to the top floor where Naraku's apartment was, not bothering to wait for a reply from the teen.

Inuyasha furrowed his brows and followed after a good distance behind the pair. He looked both ways, at each end of the hallway, before continuing. He heard the growing sound of laughing…no it sounded more like _taunting_ the closer he came to the gang leader's door. He knocked gently and nearly jumped back as the door quickly swung open with Naraku standing in the frame.

"Well well, look who it is. Lover-boy," he laughed with the other members of the gang that joined in with him, all eyeing Inuyasha incredulously.

The could hardly believe it when Naraku had told them that Inuyasha had picked up "a bitch that was richer than Midas."

Inuyasha mumbled quietly, "Hey…"

"You're just in time for the party," Naraku grinned, pulling the teen into the apartment and shutting the door behind him.

Inuyasha coughed heavily as his face was struck immediately with a thick cloud of smoke from a combination of cigarettes and marijuana. His eyes scanned the room, spotting a few needles lying on the small coffee table Naraku had in front of his worn-out couch. Accompanying the needles was a mirror that was smeared with a fine white power and two razor blades lying in the middle of the smears.

"What did you need from me, Naraku?" Inuyasha asked, wanting to get out of the apartment as fast as he could, "A job or something?"

"Now now, what's the rush Inuyasha? You haven't hung out with us all in a long time. I think we all miss you. What about you guys? Don't you miss this little bastard?" Naraku said, letting out what sounded like a drunken laugh.

The teen looked towards the door, though he knew there was no possible way he could have run for it. It would be at least fifteen against one had he attempted.

Naraku threw an arm around Inuyasha's shoulders and pulled him close, "So tell us Inuyasha, how's your bitch in bed?" the elder began to taunt. "I mean you've had to of slipped inside that by now, huh?"

"Stop it!" Inuyasha demanded, trying to pull away from the overpowering scent of alcohol that was present on Naraku's breath and clothes.

"Aw, I think that means she's not so good guys!" the elder teased again, pushing Inuyasha away causing the teen to stumble, receiving a laugh from a few gang members in the apartment.

"Shut the fuck up! You know nothing about her!" Inuyasha snapped, his hand reaching into his pocket but not coming out.

"Oh? So she's not a snotty rich bitch who's causing you to turn on your own family?" Naraku said, daringly, his tone turning deadly. His eyes darted to the teen's pocket, "What's that Inuyasha?" He narrowed his eyes at him, walking forward and grabbing the collar of his shirt.

Inuyasha turned his face away, trying to calm down his temper, he knew that he'd for sure be killed with all the gang members that would be against him in the small space.

"Go ahead tough guy, what were you going to do? Shoot all of us? Stab? What? Show me," he said through gritted teeth, his "humorous" mood now definitely out the window.

Inuyasha swallowed, he didn't know what to do or say. Naraku's grip was strong and he doubted there was a way he would be able to rip away from his grasp. "Nothing, Naraku. I just…"

"You just what? Don't want us talking about her? You're lucky I don't have a few guys go over there when that bitch is here. You know what I'm capable of. You've been a witness of what I've had done for me too. Don't mess with me Inuyasha. Don't think about threatening me or any other member of this gang…you do, and that bitch is…well, you can just use your imagination," the elder said, grinning with a look in his eyes that would disturb even the sickest of all murderers.

Inuyasha nodded, letting out a shaky breath, feeling as if he was ready to have either panic attack or lash out at Naraku yet again because of this demon that was threatening him and his girlfriend. "Sorry Naraku…" he mumbled, looking away with his eyes pointed to the floor. He didn't want Naraku to hurt Kagome and if that meant letting the elder threaten him and push him around, then so be it.

"You're so pathetic. I wouldn't be surprised if you pissed your pants, worthless piece of shit," Naraku let go of Inuyasha's collar and held out his hand. "Go ahead. Hand over whatever you've got."

The teen's pulse quickened, he looked at Naraku's open palm and began to take his hand out of his pocket. Now he was beginning to get scared, the weapon he was ready to pull would only serve to piss the gang leader off more.

"Naraku hurry up and deal with him, the other traitor is getting boring to torture!" one of the men said, the growing impatience in his voice, evident.

"He can wait!" he shouted, a menacing tone in his voice causing everyone in the room to go silent.

Inuyasha was no longer the only one with at least slight terror running over him.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket and handed over his switchblade.

"Oh ho…This. Is. _Spectacular_. Inuyasha was planning on using this knife on me," he said lowly, a light smirk on his lips.

"No! Naraku that wasn't it! It was just a reaction…I—" he was cut off.

"I don't want to hear it. Like I said…pull this shit again and by the time I'm done with you _and_ your little girlfriend, you'll be _begging_ for death," he grinned widely. "Come now Inuyasha. You're going to see what happens if you're a traitor and you're a man in this gang, since you already saw what happens to the women."

The teen didn't have a choice. His arms were firmly grasped by two members of the gang and he was taken back to a spare room in Naraku's apartment.

He noticed there was plastic placed around the floor in the room.

"What's going on, Nara_**—**_" he stopped, mid-sentence, his heart pounding as he saw a man kneeling in the middle of the empty room, a blindfold over his eyes and blood trickling down from his forehead. The man's torso was badly bruised, he was breathing heavily. Each deep breath sounded as if it would have been agony.

The teen's eyes widened as he realized what was going on…it was an execution.

Naraku walked in circles around the man whom didn't appear to be much older than Inuyasha. "You see, this fucker here decided it would be okay to talk to the police about the activities of a fellow gang member. That member is now in prison on multiple charges and will be lucky if he gets out in fifteen _years_!" he shouted the last word, punching the man across the side of the face, picking him up by his hair after he allowed him to hit the ground.

The elder pulled the blindfold off of the man's swollen eyes. One was hardly open, the other gave away that the man had lost all hope in getting out alive. He stared directly at Inuyasha.

"Any last words?" Naraku said, his voice full of hate and anger.

"Get out while you still can," he said hoarsly, not looking away from Inuyasha, though the tone in his voice was ambiguous. The teen didn't know whether the doomed man in front of him was directing his comment at him, the other members in the room, or Naraku himself.

The gang leader only laughed, jerking the man's head back and looking at him, "I won't have to. Anything you told the cops won't be able to be traced back to me."

Inuyasha closed his eyes and looked away the second he saw his own switchblade pierce the skin of the man's neck and heard the muffled gurgles as the blood pooled in his throat and out of his mouth.

"Naraku just slit his throat! Don't stab it!" one of the gang members on Inuyasha's side suggested.

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing! This bastard is going to suffer…" the elder replied, no remorse in his voice.

His eyes opened again once the noises stopped, his heart racing, and his head throbbing. He wanted to get out of that room. He had to. But he still couldn't.

The teen's eyes locked with Naraku's who was smirking devilishly. "Come here Inuyasha. Take the knife out," he dared him.

"No…I don't want it!" he shouted in his panic.

"Oh? But you were so eager to almost pull it out before. So go on, pull it out now," he challenged. "It'd be a shame if the cops were to find _your_ blade in this man's neck when we dump his body."

Inuyasha knew he had no choice as he was pushed over to the now lifeless body of a man he didn't know. He closed his eyes, feeling his stomach churn from the overwhelming smell of blood. His fingers gripped the end of the handle and he pulled the blade in a quick motion, to get the deed over and done with.

A sickening squelch was heard as the steel blade left the wound. Blood splattered out, hitting the plastic and Naraku's shoes and the rest pooled down from the gaping flesh.

The thick scarlet fluid rolled from the blade onto Inuyasha's digits as well as down his hand; he felt repulsed. He pushed past the men in the room and quickly left, not wanting to stick around for any comments they would make.

He practically ran down the stairs, the weapon in his hands. As he burst through the doors the cold air hit his face, almost making him blackout from how hot he felt. He stopped in the middle of the street. Dizzy. Sweating. Disoriented.

The sick feeling in his gut seemed to disappear for a short moment, only to reappear on the dark asphalt of the road as he vomitted. He panted heavily, shaking slightly from the events he had watched unfold. He looked at his hand, noticing the glistening blood in the moonlight.

He thought he had never moved faster as he suddenly found himself in his kitchen, scrubbing furiously at his hand in the sink. He didn't know how quickly he had ran to his apartment and he didn't care all he cared about was getting the blood off of him.

His breathing eventually slowed and he watched the dark russet liquid travel down the drain and out of his sight.

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><p><strong>Alright soooo sorry for that rollercoaster I know it's sort of "Yay! They're happy and eating pancakes then all of a sudden-bam-someone gets murdered" xD;;; BUT I hope you guys liked the chapter regardless! Leave a review letting me know what you think!<strong>

**Until next time, which won't be another month like it was this time xD;; The next chapter will actually be up in a day or two. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Alright I put this chapter up in hopes of making up for my absence and plan on putting up a one-shot a bit later in the day or maybe in the next few days IF I can get it done. And I'll begin working on another story that was on the poll that I've neglected _ *Shot***

**PLEASE READ: **There seems to be a bit of confusion xD;; Inuyasha is **HUMAN** NOT HALF DEMON. Also, Inuyasha didn't kill the guy in the last chapter, if you go back and look it says that Naraku stabbed him, killing him. Inuyasha was just forced to pull the blade out. :D Hope this clears up some things for a couple of people and possibly more. THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING! :DDDD

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Inuyasha and I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! ^_^

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 26~<strong>_

'_Dad!'_ _he shouted, running after a tall, shadowy figure in the distance. Every step he made only seemed to push his target farther away._

_He was a hamster on a wheel; he seemingly running somewhere but in actuality was only staying in one place. His legs pushed faster and his feet began to get scratched from the cold asphalt under him, but he didn't care. He tried to call out to the figure again, crying out desperately for the man to notice him and to turn around._

_Suddenly he tripped, falling to the ground and knocking the air right from his chest. His eyes glanced up ahead of him and the figure was gone. He looked down at the asphalt, feeling his heart sink; defeated. His father was gone again…_

_As he looked back up a startling sight was before him. The tall man was standing over him looking down at his son, a shadow cast over the upper half of his body._

"_Get up, InuYasha," he said in his low voice, no emotion within it._

_The young boy stood up as he was told, gazing up at his father before he quickly jumped back as the gruesome sight came in front of him. A gaping wound was in the man's chest and blood began to pour from the corners of his mouth as he took a step towards him_

"_No!" Inuyasha shouted, backing up from the image of his father. The sight was horrifying; the wound grew bigger, blood spewed from the hole, splashing onto the dark asphalt. None of this made sense._

"_I haven't seen you in so long…let me give you a hug," the tall man coughed out, then stopped, looking at the young boy in front of him._

_Inuyasha stared back in fear and began to panic seeing another figure approach his father from behind. He tried to take a step forward, calling out to his father in warning, "Dad look out!" he tried to shout. But only a soft whisper came from his lips._

_Suddenly the gleam of a blade was seen being driven into his father's neck. The thick sanguine fluid burst from the new wound. Inuyasha watched in horror as his father's lifeless body dropped to the ground and over him stood Naraku, laughing maniacally__**—**_

The teen shot up in bed, a cold sweat covering him. He threw off his sheets from his body, shaking from the gruesome sights that had been before his eyes. It had all seemed so real…

He swung his legs off the bed, letting his feet touch the floor and placed his head in his hands, breathing heavily due to his erratic heart. "Fuck…" he huffed out.

He glanced up at his alarm clock while trying to keep himself calm; it was only three in the morning.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took deep inhales, trying to slow his rapid breathing and trying to avoid a panic attack. It had seemed that ever since Naraku had taken him under his wing as a child he had been susceptible to nearly having them. He opened his eyes again and saw Buyo at his feet, pawing at his toes. He smiled a bit and picked the feline up, placing him on the bed, before getting up and heading to his bathroom.

He turned on the cold water and splashed his face to cool himself down. Dreams and nightmares of his father were nothing new, neither were nightmares of Naraku. But together…it had never happened before.

'_It has to be because of what went on earlier,'_ he quietly thought to himself, remembering the night's events that had taken place in Naraku's apartment.

He splashed his face with the cool water again before drying off with a small hand towel he kept by the sink.

His eyes slowly glanced over to his reflection in the mirror, sighing, looking at what he had become. Naraku was right, his father would be ashamed of him. But, if it wasn't for Naraku himself, he may have never turned out the way he is.

The teen turned away in disgust, and headed back to his bedroom, hoping to sleep peacefully for at least a few more hours.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Kagome arose to the sound of her mother calling her name. She grumbled and pulled her pillow over her head to drown out the calls. It was still winter break, and she'd like to sleep in for a change.

"Kagome come downstairs!" her mother shouted again, something unusual for her to do.

"Ugh!" the teen let out in a frustrated growl, sitting up and brushing her fingers through her hair before pulling it into a sloppy ponytail. She looked at her alarm clock, seeing that it was hardly _9AM_ and headed downstairs. "Yes mom?" she asked, irritated. What could have been so important?

"Look at the television, and don't take that tone with me," the elder of the two said, pointing towards their television.

Kagome's tired eyes wandered over to the screen, seeing the morning news on:

_We're back on the scene where the most recent gruesome discovery of a man was found in the very same river where three gang members were found several months ago. I'm receiving word that the man's identity has still not been recovered and that further analysis is needed._

_Information will be made available later on tonight, if you have any information please contact your local police station immediately. As for now, the police suspect that the man was executed purposefully. The body was found with arms tied firmly behind his back, it is believed that this was done prior to the killing. His body was badly bruised and there are likely some bones broken. The official cause of death at this moment is neither being released nor confirmed._

Kagome's eyes widened hearing the news before turning back towards her mother, "So what about it? I mean it's terrible…but why did you wake me up?" she asked curiously.

"I don't want you hanging around all night like you have been with the recent spike in crimes," her mother said in a worried tone of voice.

"Mom!"

"Don't 'mom' me. I've let you hang around with your…boyfriend. But this is for your safety, not to keep you away from him. I've accepted that I can't do it and that you're growing up. But I don't want to get a call from the police telling me they pulled your body from the same damn river!" her mother frantically spoke. She closed her eyes to calm herself down, "Sorry. Just…I want you to be safe."

"I am safe with Inuyasha. He never lets me out of his sight when I go to his place," the teen responded, crossing her arms.

"Because I'm sure he knows how dangerous that neighborhood is. All the more reason for me to want you home before nightfall."

Kagome sighed and looked away, "What if I promise to not leave his sight?" she asked.

"He can't protect you from everything. You two have only been together for a few months. You act as if it's been years."

"Mom…just trust me please. I'll be safe with Inuyasha. Besides just because some psycho gangs are out for one another doesn't mean I'll be in the crosshairs," Kagome pleaded and tried to reason.

Hesitating, but finally answering, her mother sighed, "Fine…But if there is one more killing on that side of town, you stay home."

"I don't know if I can make you that promise, mom," she honestly replied before quickly heading back upstairs to brush her teeth and shower before calling Inuyasha.

—_**xxxxx—**_

"So your mom doesn't want you to see me anymore?" Inuyasha asked solemnly, sitting on the bank of the pond that was in the center of the park.

Kagome sighed and shook her head, "No, that's not it. She doesn't want me to go to your apartment though because of the killings. I don't know. She assumed that your side of town is behind it all."

"Oh," he quietly responded, not putting up a protest that it wasn't his side of town's fault.

"What's wrong, Yasha?" Kagome asked, furrowing her brows and leaning against him.

"Nothing's wrong."

"If nothing is wrong, why don't you look at me? And why are you being so quiet?"

"I'm just thinking…maybe your mother is right. You should stay over here where it's safer," he shrugged lightly.

Kagome huffed and sat straight up again. "You know, if you don't want me around for some reason, just say so."

"It's for your safety, Kagome. That's all," Inuyasha tried to reason. He pulled her closer to him, turning her chin up towards him, so she'd look right at him. "It is dangerous over there, whether you realize it or not, okay?"

"Inuyasha…did you know about the murder before the police did?" Kagome asked warily, looking in his eyes and seeing that they seemed empty though deeply troubled.

An odd numbness was sent through his body, "Look, just don't_**—**_"

"Inuyasha don't you dare lie to me. Not now," she asked, sternly but pleading. "Now tell me…Did you know?"

"Yeah," he trailed off, looking away from her.

"Who did it?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying again."

"Yeah and if I don't someone else could end up hurt," he said looking back at her, nothing but seriousness in his voice.

"Fine. If you think lying to me is going to help anything then go ahead," she said, huffing out in irritation, pulled from his arms and looked off elsewhere with her arms crossed.

Inuyasha looked down at the pond, watching small ripples come from a leaf that fell onto the otherwise still waters.

"I don't want to fight with you, Kags," he muttered softly.

"Then don't," she replied, finally looking back at him.

"I'm trying not to. I just want you to understand. There are going to be things I can't tell you. If I don't tell you then it's for a good reason," he attempted to explain, still not locking her gaze.

"And there's no budging on this for you is there?"

"No. Unfortunately not."

She sighed and moved closer to him, tipping her head around and kissing him lightly on his lips, receiving one back. "Alright then, I guess we'll just have to figure out some sort of compromise, then."

"Okay," he replied softly, nodding his head once.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Inuyasha walked into his apartment building, he had dropped Kagome off back at her house and was mentally drained. His mind had been racing ever since her question sent chills through his body.

"_Did you know about the murder before the police did?"_ Her voice rang through his head, clear as day.

How was he supposed to answer her? Tell her that he had in fact witnessed it? That his knife was the murder weapon? That he was forced to pull the blade from the man's corpse?

The questions continued to make their way through his mind, searing themselves into his conscious until he felt the guilt weigh him down. He let out a deep sigh as he took his keys from his pockets, and made his way down the long, dark corridor of his floor.

As the teen walked into his home, his eyes grew wide and he quickly shut and locked the door behind him, hurrying over to his couch after he saw who was sitting on it.

"Kagura…what are you doing here?" he asked in a hushed voice, as though they would be heard. "And how did you get into my home?"

The woman whom sitting on his couch, her legs delicately crossed, and continued to stare straight ahead at the wall either in thought or bored, "I just wanted to talk to you. How did I get in? You should know that answer yourself. I picked the lock of course," she said matter-of-factly.

Inuyasha nodded, "Right…". He sat down next to her, and before he was able to get a another word off he was stunned to see the other half of her face. His eyes caught sight of multiple scraps and a large bruise that started from above her eyebrow, continuing down past her cheekbone.

"Kagura…what_**—**_" he began to question.

"What do you think, happened?" she asked before he finished his sentence, something she was always good at, letting out a hoarse laugh.

"Why do you still_**—**_"

"Come back to Naraku? Because I have no other choices."

"But you can leave, you can go somewhere where he won't ever find you," the teen began to say.

"Really? You make it all sound so simple, if that was the case, why haven't you left? I know you want to."

Inuyasha looked at her, not knowing what to say back - she had been in his life since he was fourteen, a year after Naraku took him in. He confided in her with certain feelings he had about being in the gang. His fears. The things he saw because of Naraku. Never once did she relay the information back to the gang leader. She was the closest thing he had to a mother.

"I get your point," he muttered nearly under his breath. "What made you come around this time?"

"I had to tell Naraku some news…he didn't like it, but if I didn't tell him he'd find out one way or another…he always does," she muttered silently.

Inuyasha looked away, already knowing what she had been talking about.

Kagura had been Naraku's "girlfriend" for quite some time, though he hardly ever brought her around for anyone else to see, unless she showed up by herself. And throughout their relationship he had gotten her pregnant more than a couple of times.

Though, there was never a chance for the child to be born.

"How far along are you?" Inuyasha asked quietly, not fully able to look at her.

"I'm not anymore. It was done at the clinic before I came here. I just told him about it."

"I would have thought he would have been relieved."

"Oh he was, though he wanted to be there with me I guess. Sick bastard. If you're wondering about the bruise is because he wanted to fuck me…and I didn't want to, especially since with what I just had done. I don't know why I said I didn't want to have sex with him though. It was going to happen one way or another."

Inuyasha's brows furrowed with concern even as the turning of his stomach began. Kagura had always been a little too frank with him about certain aspects of the "relationship" she had with Naraku. Though it wasn't like she was telling him anything that he didn't already know.

She looked over out of the corner of her eye and noticed the familiar queasy look spread out over his face, "I'm sorry," she said in a soft but monotone voice, though Inuyasha knew she truly meant it.

"It's fine. I always dump my problems on you, so it's only fair."

She let out a bitter laugh, "I wouldn't call what I have to be _"problems"_ anymore. It's just a part of my life. I made that choice when I met him six years ago."

Inuyasha looked away, trying to think of what to say.

"Kid," - she had always called him that from time to time - "promise me that you'll get out of here one day…before it's too late, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt more than what he's already done to you."

The teen looked back at her, his deep grey eyes focusing on the un-bruised side of her face. "I'll try." He couldn't make her that promise. He had wanted out ever since he had gotten in. But it didn't seem possible.

"That's all I ask. So enough of my life. Tell me, how have you been doing in school? Are you're grades staying okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, having always wanted him to keep his grades up and have an excuse to leave the gang behind, even if it was only for about seven or eight hours.

"They're good," he smiled a bit, his eyes darted down to her legs as she propped them up on his small coffee table and he felt the sick feeling in his gut return seeing a small glimpse of multiple scratches on the inside of her leg before she straightened out her skirt.

He assumed she didn't notice that he had seen, and if she had, she didn't say anything about it.

"Any girls trying to "talk" to you?" she joked, but her small smile turned into a smirk as the teen looked away in a timid manner. "You do, don't you?"

"I, no, it's just_**—**_"

"Don't worry. I'm not Naraku, remember?" she said, the smirk leaving her lips as she spoke.

"I know…yeah I do. We've been together for nearly five months now."

"Well I'm very happy to hear that. Take things slow and…" she trailed off, looking towards Inuyasha's door.

His eyebrows raised as she stopped her sentence short and followed her gaze, hearing the same noise she must have heard: Keys.

The lock to his door began to jiggle, turning slightly and then all the way before the door was pushed open.

There was only one other person had a key to his apartment: Naraku.

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><p><strong>*Hides in bomb shelter in case you guys are angry or whatever else* o.o I'm sorry I left it there and that the chapter was so depressing… But I hope you at least enjoyed it! ^_^;;; New character! Yay? *Shanked* X_X<strong>

**Leave a review letting me know what you thought of this chapter! Please and thank you! I'll try and reply to them all~**


	27. Chapter 27

**Alright folks here is Chapter 27 of Renegade! Thank you to all who reviewed ^_^ I hope you'll let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**MAID FOR SEDUCTION (READ IF YOU READ THAT FIC PLEASE): **I'm again completely zapped of ideas, so let me know what you guys would like to see in that story or what you feel I haven't covered yet! ^_^ It may spark some ideas in me. But hopefully I can get it up online for your guys by the 10th or 11th.

**Anyway! Onto Renegade!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 27~<strong>_

Kagome took a deep breath before she walked into the pharmacy store. She looked around at the practically empty building and noticed there was a woman sitting at the checkout counter, leaned back on a stool and reading a magazine, hardly paying attention. Even the pharmacists weren't at their stations.

The young brunette glanced up at the clock on the wall, _8:15pm_. She had walked from her house to the pharmacy after Inuyasha had dropped her off. Her mother wasn't home and she thought this would be the best time for her to do what she came to do.

"Oh…my gosh," she huffed, feeling filled with anxiety for no apparent reason as she stepped towards the aisle she wanted.

She bit her lower lip as she looked down the barren way and headed down. Her eyes glanced from side to side before meeting with what she had come to purchase.

Condoms.

Kagome felt her cheeks suddenly heat up with embarrassment, _'Why am I acting this way? It's perfectly natural…and what I buy is my business,'_ she tried to convince herself. But she had never done anything like it before. The last time she struggled to buy an item this much was when her "monthly gift" had first come around and her mother gave her the money to buy what she needed.

'_I could always hold off on buying these. It's not like Inuyasha and I are even close to doing it…we haven't even talked about it…But it has been a few months already so what if he feels ready, though I doubt it. I'm probably more ready than he is, but I'm in no rush,'_ her inner conflict raged on. She hardly heard the voice that was speaking to her.

"Ma'am? Do you need help or something?" the cashier from behind the counter, only bothering to glance up from her magazine said.

Kagome slightly jumped and looked over, she wasn't sure how long she had been standing in front of the prophylactics and she didn't want to find out. "N-no, No. I'm fine!" she said in a quick outburst.

The clerk only raised an eyebrow and returned to the magazine.

Kagome placed her face in her hands, feeling more awkward than ever before returning her attention to the condoms. She looked at all the various types, her eyes widening to exactly how varied they all were. Ribbed, ultra, regular, water-based, large, for him, for her, and so on.

She knew a lot from what she had read online and in magazines, but standing in the aisle and actually _seeing_ them all was completely different, especially in her nervous state. What if her mother walked in and saw her? Regardless of her worries she still had no idea what to pick and the costs of them all weren't aiding in her decision since they were all expensive.

The teen took a deep breath and finally picked a normal box and took small, hesitant steps towards the counter. She placed the box on the white counter-top and could hardly make eye-contact with the cashier.

The woman behind the register looked at Kagome incredulously, as if the teen was too young or inexperienced to purchase such items. "That'll be 18.38," was all that came from the woman's mouth.

'_That's a lot…'_ Kagome thought to herself, but also added a mental note, _'Still…it's cheaper than a baby would be.'_

The teen handed over a twenty, and told the cashier to keep the change. She just wanted to get out of the store as quickly as possible. She grabbed the box and headed out, putting the condoms in her messenger bag to shield it from the public eye, though there was hardly anyone on the street.

As she walked away from the pharmacy, she let out a small squeak of realization that she had just bought condoms and had no clue when she was ever going to need them and no idea of where to hide them.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Inuyasha and Kagura both stood up in a hurry, seeing Naraku enter the apartment.

"What the fuck is going on here, huh?" the older man asked, slamming the door behind him as he slowly made his way over to the two.

"I was just talking to_**—**_" Inuyasha began only to be quickly silenced by Naraku raising a hand.

"Shut up. I'm not talking to you, Inuyasha. I'm talking to the bitch next to you," the gang leader said, his eyes narrowed and looking towards Kagura.

"I just wanted to see Inuyasha since we hadn't spoken in awhile, that's all, Naraku," she said in a monotone voice, looking down and away from him, being careful to not make eye contact with the man.

"Oh is that so? Telling him all our private details? Or maybe he's satisfying you?" Naraku sneered, grabbing Kagura by her arm tightly, causing her to wince.

"Naraku, it's nothing like that! She's like a mom to me, we'd never_**—**_"

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up, boy?" Naraku asked, turning his attention to the teen. "She was supposed to be at _my_ apartment until I said. Not yours!" he shouted, his anger only growing.

Inuyasha didn't know what to do, he hated seeing Naraku treat Kagura the way that he did, but knew if he were to try and defend her they would both possibly end up getting hurt even worse.

"Leave him alone, Naraku. He hasn't done anything wrong," she spoke up, jerking her arm away from him. "You're drunk, what a surprise. It's no wonder you're so fucking paranoid," she said in disgust, smelling the heavy liquor on his breath and clothes.

"And you're disobedient," he said through gritted teeth, slapping her hard across her cheek.

The sound chilled Inuyasha down to his bone right before it heated him with rage as he heard her cry out and watched her grabbed the side of her face that was struck. Without another word, Naraku grabbed Kagura by the front of her shirt and pulled her along. "Be at my apartment tomorrow at this time, Inuyasha. I think I might have something for you to do. In the meantime, me and this bitch are going to handle some business of our own," Naraku said with a sickening smirk. "I wasn't quite finished the first time."

Inuyasha couldn't react, the next thing he knew the door to his apartment was open again and Naraku had practically thrown Kagura out into the hallway before following after, slamming the door behind them once again.

The exchange had been brief, hardly five minutes, but the teen still found himself terrified of what was about to happen to Kagura. Never before had Naraku particularly cared if he and Kagura talked, even when the older male was drunk or high. There was an even worse change happening in Naraku and now Inuyasha didn't know what he could or could not expect.

He felt his pocket buzz from his cell-phone but hardly noticed in his state of shock. The buzzing continued, long enough to snap him out of his trance. He quickly grabbed the phone and held it up to his ear, already knowing it was Kagome.

"Hello?" he said, plopping back down on the couch, shaken from what he knew was about to take place at Naraku's apartment.

"Hey, Yasha_**—**_what's wrong?" the quiet voice on the other end of the line said, concern quickly consuming her tone.

"Nothing. Did you need something?" he asked, trying to quickly change the subject.

"It's not "nothing" you promised me…" she trailed off.

Even over the phone he could hear the disappointment in her voice. "It's just Naraku, that's all."

"Fine. I'll guess I'll leave it then," she said sighing softly.

Inuyasha stared off out of his window, staying silent for a over a minute before finally breaking the quiet, "What did you need, Kagome?"

"I think I'll wait to tell you, never mind. My mom just got home and is calling me. I'll see you at school Monday. Vacation went by too fast. Bye, Yash," she said.

The teen furrowed his brows and said goodbye before hanging up. He covered his face with his hands wondering what it could have been that Kagome wanted, but he didn't have time to worry about it now. His mind went right back to what Naraku could possibly want of him. Whatever it was, he knew it wouldn't be easy.

_-xxxxx-_

Soon enough Monday had arrived.

Kagome wandered the long halls of her high school, passing by her peers. Only a few bothered to even acknowledge her anymore.

"Hey Kagome," one said as he passed by.

"Oh hey…" she mumbled, her mind preoccupied with finding Inuyasha since it was now lunch and she had yet to see him all day.

"I was wondering…Are you going to be going on the senior field trip to the amusement park this weekend?" the student asked, his hands in his pockets.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed and she nodded, "Yeah I might be…why?"

"Oh. I just wanted to know. Cause I didn't think it'd be smart for you to go…" he trailed off.

The brunette was even more confused now, she brushed some hair from her face and tilted her head slightly, "Why is that?"

"Well just…Because bringing Inuyasha along might also make him bring his friends…and we all know the kind of people he hangs out with," the student remarked, "Not to mention your reputation," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh really? Has he ever caused a disruption at school? Or even in your own personal life? No didn't think so. You know, just when I think that all you bastards are accepting that he's a person, you turn around and start assuming crap like this. If anyone else has anything else to say, tell them, from me, that they can shove it up their ass!" Kagome yelled, ready to pull her hand back and slap the teen male for accusing Inuyasha of such things, his second comment going over her head.

She managed to resist, turn, and walk away quickly, leaving the flabbergasted student behind her.

"Of all the low down, dirty, rotten, ugh!" she grumbled, opening her locker and practically throwing her book inside of the metal space.

"You know, talking to yourself might make people think you're crazy," a voice said behind her.

"Yeah well maybe then they'll- Inuyasha! Where have you been?" Kagome exclaimed after recognizing the deep voice. She swiftly turned, hugging him tightly and pressing her lips to his. As she pulled back she gasped, seeing a deep bruise across his left cheek.

"What happened? Don't you dare lie to me," she demanded, holding his face in place and looking at him intently.

"I got into a fight that's all," he said quietly, looking off and seeing a few students staring at them from down the hall.

"A fight with who?" she asked sternly, jerking his head a bit so he'd focus on her. "Look at me, not them, mister."

"Mister?" he smirked, hoping to get the same from her, but failing. He let out a heavy sigh, "Naraku wanted me to help… "jump-in" a new member."

"You and this damn gang…" she mumbled, closing her locker and grabbing his hand, pulling him along towards the nurse's office.

"Look I'm fine, I don't need ice," he tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear that 'I'm fine' crap, you're not fine. Just let me do this, okay? Humor me…"

After getting the ice, the two found a lone table off to the side in the outside eating area. Kagome pressed the cool cubes wrapped in a few layers of paper towels against his face. "Now…tell me more."

"There's nothing to tell…there was a newbie and Naraku made me fight. That's all," Inuyasha tried to convince her.

"I feel that there's more to the story you aren't telling me…"

"There's not. I promise."

"If I find out otherwise, I'm going to be _really_ angry with you," she warned him.

"I know," Inuyasha nodded, moving her hand gently, leaning forward and kissing her lightly.

Kagome kissed back, relaxing a bit and parting her lips slightly and flicking her tongue against his. She set the ice down and wrapped her arms around her neck, not caring who saw them, though they could have gotten in trouble had any teachers been out surveying the students.

"Do you want to go on the amusement park field trip this weekend?" she asked, whispering against his lips.

"Not really…" he mumbled quietly.

"Good…neither do I. Not anymore," she smiled.

"What'll we do then?" the teen male asked, wrapping his arms around her torso.

"That's up to you I guess," Kagome shrugged, not having any plans of her own.

"We'll think of something…hey what was the call a couple nights ago? It was hardly two minutes long," Inuyasha asked; it had begun to bother him after jumping in the new gang member and he wanted to know what it was.

"Oh it was nothing that important…at least not yet," she said, glancing down at her backpack. The purchase she had made still rested inside of her bag, she was too hesitant to even take it out at her house.

"Well if it _will_ be important, tell me now," he pressed, following her gaze. "Is it something with your bag?" the teen asked, confused.

"Not exactly…I went to the store and bought something that's _in_ my bag," the brunette said, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"What was it?" Inuyasha asked, quirking an eyebrow, completely clueless as to what she was struggling to say.

"Something that we may need if we ever were to get to that point…." she attempted to let out. Though the words just wouldn't leave her lips.

The teen male didn't respond, a befuddled expression was still across his face, and he sat quietly, as if waiting for the woman in front of him to say straight out what she wanted to say.

"I bought…condoms." Kagome kept her eyes down as the word came from her lips in a quick rush. She wasn't sure if he had heard what she had said, but figured he did from his silence.

"Oh…" he replied, having in fact heard her words. "I see…Well…we haven't really said anything about that," he started, now more nervous than Kagome was, if it was at all possible.

"Yeah," she said quietly, biting her lower lip gently.

Inuyasha tipped his head, determined to not let the conversation slip into an even more awkward feel, and kissed her lightly. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it?" he asked.

Kagome nodded, letting out a breath of relief that he wasn't put off by the thought of her being prepared already. As well as him not wanting to rush directly into such a thing in the first place.

"You know…this weekend we'll have been together for five months already," she said, resting her head against his shoulder.

"You're right…"

"You don't sound that excited," Kagome said quietly, looking at the ice on the table.

"No, no, I am. Sorry. Just…thinking about something we could do," he excused.

"How about we just play this one by ear?" she smiled, taking his hand into hers.

Inuyasha nodded, smirking slightly and kissing the side of her head.

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><p><strong>See? No sad ending this time! ^_^ No cliffy per se! So no me getting shanked right? Right? *Shanked* X| Alright then…<strong>

**Anyway, please let me know what you thought of this chapter and again let me know what you'd like to see or what you feel that I left out in MAID FOR SEDUCTION if you read it. ^_^**

**Until next time~**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you all for reviewing! ^_^ I also appreciate all the help that I got for MFS, so really thank you for that. Anywho, I won't keep ya, ONTO RENEGADE! Read and review! :3**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha…**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 28~<strong>_

The teen brunette was rushing through the halls of her school once the bell had rung, signaling the end of school for the weekend.

'_Remember seniors, the buses will be here tomorrow at 8AM sharp, be here by 7:30 so the teachers can collect permission slips and get a count of who is going!'_

Kagome rolled her eyes at the announcement, wondering why the student board had waiting until the _day before_ the trip to mention the times to be ready. Not that she particularly cared, she was no longer apart of the board and wasn't even going on the trip.

Her mind was focused on ridding her arms of her heavy text books which were ready to fall from her arms.

She quickly turned the corner, running into a fellow student, her books fell from her arms as they gave way. Her papers scattering with them.

The girl she had run into her, rubbed her forearm, having apparently gotten scratched by the corner of a book from the impact. "Watch where you're going, _Ho-_gurashi!" With that the student kept on walking.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed and her jaw dropped slightly, had she really just been called a whore? For what? She let out a frustrated sigh and began trying to gather her things. _'I don't know what the hell everyone's problem is but it's really starting to piss me off,' _she thought to herself quietly. Shoving papers back into the wrong books.

She had been a fool and had done hardly any of her homework the previous night, forcing her to carry her books from class to class working on each before they would be do. Her arms felt weak at this point and the teen was unsure if she'd even be able to pick them up again.

Suddenly an extra pair of hands were there helping her pick up her textbooks. "You're so clumsy," the voice said.

Kagome glanced up and came face to face with deep grey eyes, she smiled a wide grin. "Thanks, Yash. But actually, this wasn't entirely my fault, some snobby bitch walked into me, called me a whore, then kept on going," she said, the smile faltering a bit.

"Why would she call you that," he asked, immediately angered by hearing this, looking around for any sign of said student but finding none. He quickly helped her pick up her books and carried all of them for her with ease.

She shrugged, "I don't know. She called me 'Ho-gurashi.' Don't ask me," she huffed, running her fingers through her hair, "Do you want me to carry any of that? They _are_ my books after-all."

Inuyasha only shook his head, "Nope, I've got them, and don't listen to her. I don't know what's going on with this school, but people have been acting that way to me too…more than usual. They don't just plain ol' ignore me anymore…which I would prefer."

"I'll find out sooner or later," Kagome said, determined.

"Don't worry about it. I'd rather not," he said, following his beau to her locker and letting her grab the books one by one to place neatly back into her locker.

"Fine, I guess…There we go. So where to? Your apartment?" she smiled, turning and wrapping her arms around him.

"I suppose…though if you're spending the night, then you might want to grab some clothes from home," he said quietly, leaning in closer to her, waiting for a kiss.

The brunette smiled and moved her hands into his hair, not kissing him but only brushing her lips against his, "I have clothes at your place already though," she whispered.

"That's true…just thought you might want variety once in awhile," he laughed once before stealing a kiss.

Kagome tugged in his hair slightly and kissed him back, "I'll be fine," she mumbled softly.

Inuyasha moved his arms around her tighter, his palms moving over her back, smoothly moving over her shirt.

Kagome drew her lower lip into her mouth and pulled out of the embrace before anyone saw them in the hallway. She grabbed his large hand and led him out of the school, heading to where the teen usually parked.

"Does your mom know you're coming with me?" Inuyasha asked, unsure of whether or not to drive off with Kagome without her guardian knowing.

"Yeah she knows," she nodded quickly, "Why? Think I'd just run off?" she joked.

"Maybe," he grinned, opening the car doors and getting in behind the steering wheel.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him playfully and got herself situated in the passenger seat, and reaching for the radio as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Inuyasha glanced at her skeptically as a pop song came on, smirking then shaking his head and looking back at the road.

"What?" she laughed once, "Don't like? Then what would _you_ like to listen to?" she asked, getting ready to change the channel.

"It doesn't matter to me. If it has a beat and the lyrics aren't stupid then I'll listen to it I guess," he shrugged.

"The way you say that, it sounds like you don't listen to music all the time," she commented, moving away from the radio, not changing it after-all since a new song came on.

Inuyasha only shrugged again, "Not really I guess. I never really have the time."

"Oh okay, well then maybe we'll have to get you into more," she smiled, receiving a nod in response.

Before she knew it they were on Inuyasha's side of town, parked out in front of his apartment. Kagome leaned over and drew him in for a long kiss, her tongue running over his lower lip, silently asking for entrance.

Inuyasha smirked slightly before kissing her back, twining his tongue with hers. "We should probably go inside…I don't want people to see us," he said quietly.

"Alright," she smiled, gathering up her things and hopping out of the car, heading up towards the building with Inuyasha close behind her.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder before going into his building, staring across the street at Naraku's apartment. He knew Kagura was still there, but had no clue how she was doing. He hadn't heard from Naraku in a few days and that wasn't a good sign. He sighed and turned back, quickly following Kagome before she noticed something was wrong.

Kagome awaited her boyfriend at the top of the stairwell, "What took you so long?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Inuyasha grabbed her hand gently and led her down the hallway to his apartment, "I wasn't sure if I locked the car or not, that's all." He nearly breathed a sigh of relief when she bought it, dropping the question.

As soon as they were in his apartment, Kagome spotted Buyo and grinned. "Buyo! I haven't seen you in so long!" she exclaimed, picking up the small kitten and seemingly forgetting all about Inuyasha.

"Oh, okay, I see how it is," he joked, walking over to his couch and sitting down as Kagome took the kitten to the middle of the floor, in front of the sofa.

"Don't be such a sourpuss, I'll pay attention to you in a minute," she smirked, letting the growing kitten paw at her hand as she teased him.

"Sure sure. I know when I'm being replaced, it's okay," he said back, leaning forward and grabbing her messenger bag to move it to the side, looking at the chubby feline.

"I don't know how he's gotten so fat," he mentioned quietly.

"He's not fat, he's just pudgy!" Kagome said with a laugh, defending the kitten.

"No…he's fat," Inuyasha smiled, staring back at Kagome who seemed to be playfully challenging him.

"Pudgy!" Kagome scooted away from the kitten, moving closer to Inuyasha and meeting him for a kiss. She heard the soft thuds as the kitten ran off to the bedroom, as if to give them privacy.

"Prove me otherwise…" he quietly said against her lips.

The teen brunette drew her lower lip into her mouth, her eyes glancing down and back up, meeting his deep grey ones.

Inuyasha only raised an eyebrow in question.

Kagome gently pushed against his chest to urge him to sit back on the couch as she moved up onto the cushions with him and straddled his lap.

His hands found her hips, lightly rubbing across her skin. His palms caressed upwards towards her breasts, cupping them carefully before moving back down again.

Kagome let out a soft moan and rocked her hips against his, she kissed him again, her lips moving against him, lightly flicking her tongue against his. Her hands slipped into his hair, gently tugging at the thick tresses.

She felt her cheeks heat up as his hands moved down around her lower back and down over the curve of her backside, his hands lightly squeezing before letting go. One of her hands moved from his hair down over his chest and she could feel his heart beat. It was as though he was nervous and unsure of his movements.

"It's okay…I like it," she whispered into the kiss, receiving a slight smile back. She figured that was the reassurance he needed as he pulled her closer to his body.

Kagome tipped her head, kissing his neck, running her tongue over his skin and tracing across his collar bone.

Inuyasha shifted and pulled his shirt off, tossing it to the side letting it land on the floor. His hands reached for Kagome's blouse, undoing the buttons slowly until they were all undone.

She shuddered slightly from the cool touch of his fingertips against her heated skin. She let out a huff, her warm breath hitting his neck.

Inuyasha let out a soft moan and watched as she shifted herself down, kissing across his chest, her tongue flicking out of his skin. His heart began pounding harder in anticipation for what he knew was coming. Would he actually like it? What would he do if he didn't? He couldn't just stop her…He wanted to close his eyes until it was over, but couldn't force himself to.

Kagome began to feel just as nervous as he was, though was determined to not let it show all the way through. Her lips trailed over his stomach, until she reached the top hem of his jeans. Her fingers made their way to the button and zipper, undoing them slowly.

She tried to keep her hands steady as her anxiousness began to take over. Taking slow, deep breaths, she managed to get his pants open and slid them off his hips just enough to pull his hardening shaft from his boxers.

Kagome licked her lips once, hoping her pulse would slow. She glanced up at him and didn't know how to take the look on his face. He wasn't looking at her, but instead off to the side, as if he was forcing himself to stay put.

Kagome leaned forward and unsurely made a small lap at the underside of his cock, hearing a near inaudible gasp from his lips. She took it as she was doing something right and repeated her previous motion, getting the same response. The teen then moved her lips up the side of his length and took the head of his shaft into her lips.

Inuyasha withheld a low groan from the warmth of her mouth, his head fell back and his hands gripped the cushions of the sofa. His eyes focused on the ceiling above them and he let out a slow shaky breath as more of his shaft slipped into her lips.

She closed her eyes as she took the first bit of his cock into her mouth, moving up and down. She tried to focus on moving her tongue as she bobbed her head up and down, hoping it felt good for him. Kagome began to move her hand along the part of his shaft that wasn't between her lips, trying to give him the most pleasure that she could.

She soon found herself aching below, becoming more and more aroused. She moved her free hand into her pants, having never touched herself before except for showering, her movements on herself felt clumsy. Kagome quickly found a comfortable rhythm, moving her fingers over her clit, rocking herself against her hand.

Inuyasha meanwhile tried to force his hips to stay still, as they wanted to buck forward. One of his hands had already made its way into Kagome's hair and refused to move away as it very gently helped guide her up and down. "Kagome…" he groaned lowly.

He was enjoying it, but wasn't sure if she was. Inuyasha finally looked down at her, just in time for her to open her eyes at the sound of her name and lock gazes with him. He saw her face was flushed with want, the same look that had been on her face when he had gone down on her.

His eyes glanced down further, noticing that her other hand was in her clothing, touching herself. His grey orbs widened seeing this, "Ah…" he moaned out, letting his hips begin to rock into her lips.

Kagome smirked a bit and let more of his shaft slide into her mouth. She kept her breaths steady, feeling the anxiety leave her body completely. She felt his cock throb in her mouth against her tongue and she moaned, figuring it was a good sign.

"Ah…I'm…fuck…" he panted under his breath, the huffs were growing jagged and he attempted to pull back away from her but Kagome refused to stop. Her head continued to bob, seemingly faster with every throb of his member.

It clicked what he was trying to tell her and she braced herself, feeling his hand in her hair, tighten. She felt the warm spurts shoot into her mouth, it shocked her initially, but she swiftly swallowed his release. Not finding it as salty as many things she had read said it would be, but more bittersweet.

A few seconds later, she pulled off of him, panting, her fingers still rubbing against herself. Inuyasha's chest rose and fell and his eyes were glazed over.

"Did you…like it?" she asked with a smile, knowing the answer.

He nodded softly, smiling back and leaning down, sliding off the couch and laying her back on the floor. "It's your turn now," he said softly, kissing against her neck and down over her breasts, undoing the clasp to her bra from the front.

His eyes roamed over her exposed torso before he dipped his head down, taking one of her nipples into his mouth and running his tongue over it.

Inuyasha kept himself braced up on the floor with one hand, the other traveling down her front, undoing her pants quickly and pushing them off her hips.

Kagome hurriedly slid them off and ran her fingertips over his body, smirking slightly to herself. "Yasha…" she moaned out as his lips traced down over her flat stomach.

He kissed between each of her thighs before diving in for what he knew she wanted badly. His tongue ran along her folds, causing her back to arch. He still felt unsure in the situation, but was comfortable enough to continue. After-all they had done this before, though it had never quite been like this.

The teen male lapped his tongue against her sensitive bud as he held onto her hips as she bucked against him, wanting more. His tongue made tantalizing strokes against her, as he moved from over her entrance to right under her clit.

He sucked lightly on the pink jewel as one of his hands moved up her body, grasping gently at her perked breasts. His hand massaged against her, driving her insane as his tongue teased against her.

Kagome groaned, her hands grasping in his hair, tugging in it more, rocking against his lips.

It didn't take long before she felt a tight coil in her aching core since she had gotten herself close to release. Her breaths grew uneven and she closed her eyes. "Inu…" she trailed off, her back arched sharply as she felt her climax build and vanish as she reached her peak. A loud moan slipped from her parted lips.

"Yes…" she groaned, rocking against him, riding out her orgasm.

Inuyasha smirked and stopped his motions once her hips started moving away, her core feeling too sensitive for him to continue.

He kissed his way back up her body, placing a chaste kiss to her lips before sitting back, redoing his pants.

Kagome stayed where she was, smiling and giggling softly.

"Again with the laughing?" he smirked, teasing her.

"I don't know. I just feel so…good!" she said, exclaiming the last word. She sat up and pulled her panties back on, kissing him deeply.

"I wanted to do that for you before…But…" she mumbled softly.

"I know. I enjoyed it with you though," he smiled, a different look was in his eye. A look she hadn't seen in him before.

"Well I'm glad," she grinned from ear to ear. Feeling happy she was able to satisfy him.

"I think…I think I'm really falling for you, Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her close.

She felt her heart jump, never thinking she'd hear him say something quite like that. "Yeah?" she smiled softly.

He nodded, staring at her before looking off, feeling oddly vulnerable, having never said anything like that to anyone before.

"I'm happy to hear that. Cause I _know_ I'm falling for you," she said, reassuring him that she felt the same way.

The teen male looked back at the woman in his arms and felt a foreign feel hit his stomach. He kissed her deeply, not knowing what to say back, only knowing that he wanted to keep on kissing her and feeling the way he was.

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><p><strong>Thank you all for reading! No real angst this time but sorry for the shortness of it ^_^;; I hope the ending wasn't too bad and I hope you enjoyed it! ^_^ Let me know in a review.<strong>

**ALSO! **I don't know if any of you out there are part of something called the Feudal Association but apparently Fruit Basket has been nominated for The Best Inuyasha/Kagome Romance Fiction! So if you are part of the community I believe that you can vote for it. So please wish me luck and vote if you can! ^_^

**LINKS (Remember to take the spaces out) - Nominees: **http:/ feudal- pulpfiction. net/ feudal/ nominations/ sample-page/

**Voting place: http:/ groups. yahoo. com/ group/ FeudalAssociation/**


	29. Chapter 29

**PLEASE READ: **Well well. Here we are again. I'm so so so so **SO sorry this hasn't been updated in MONTHS D'X**

Believe me, **I feel bad**. Because I love this story and I feel that there's a good amount of people out there who do too. **So I feel horrible that I've let so many of you down.** And if any of you have given up on this story or have forgotten about it, I hope that you can forgive me (even if you aren't reading this right now). **But trust me this story is continuing on until the very last chapter! (Which won't be for quite awhile).**

**ANYWAY! Onto Chapter 29 of Renegade! Read, Enjoy and Review!**

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha is not my property, only this story and the other stories that I made are. Other than that it belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 29~<strong>_

Kagome turned over in the cool sheets of Inuyasha's bed, burying her head into one of the pillows. She took in a deep, gentle breath, letting it out slowly. She felt the soft brushes of fur rub against a small portion of her exposed leg, rousing her from a peaceful sleep.

The brunette's eyebrows slowly furrowed at the feel, her half-asleep state not fully registering what it could be.

Her mocha eyes peeked open, and she glanced down, seeing Buyo snuggling into the sheets, his tail brushing against her skin once more, tickling her slightly. She smiled, moved her legs away gently to not disturb the kitten, and looked around the room.

"Inuyasha?" she mumbled while still in a tired daze.

The teenager sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes, calling his name again but receiving no answer. She glanced towards the window, shielding her eyes from the rays of sunlight that broke through the blinds.

Letting out a yawn, Kagome carefully got out of the bed, minding the cat that was in her way. She noticed that Inuyasha's alarm clock read eleven, and she became confused as to where he could be. She then padded over to his closet and grabbed one of his shirts, throwing it on despite it being too large for her, then headed towards the bathroom to brush her teeth.

While in there, she heard the sound of two soft-speaking voices; one belonged to her boyfriend and the other to a woman.

"It's not that I don't want you here… Just, I don't know how she'd—"

"Look, I can't go anywhere else, otherwise I wouldn't put you in this position. Those other guys will try and take advantage of Naraku not being here… Please, Inuyasha. Even if it's just for a few hours…"

"I want you safe—really, I do…but Kagome might not know how to react to you… What about you go hide somewhere, and I'll take her back to her house?"

"I'm not going to put the girl out, Inuyasha. Don't be foolish."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the sound of her name and rinsed her mouth out heading out of the bathroom and venturing towards the living room. She was growing more and more curious as to who was there and what she was talking about with her beau.

As she entered the living room, her eyes widened upon seeing who Inuyasha was talking to.

The teen girl had never seen the woman before and was shocked by her rough appearance. The woman in front of Inuyasha was beautiful. Her dark, raven hair was pulled back tightly into a neat bun, though her face was marred by a large, dark blue and purple bruise. On the same side of her face was a gash on her lower lip that had begun to try and heal, it seemed.

Her arms were exposed by an airy, scarlet blouse, and on the same side as the bruise, she had harsh scrapes across her skin that looked perhaps a day old.

"Kagome. Oh, I…" Inuyasha said, looking just as shocked as she, herself, did.

Kagome's eyes glanced back up to the woman's face, staring into her large, roan eyes. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to stare… I just—"

"No. I'm sorry for showing up looking like this. My name is Kagura Kaze. I'm assuming you're this Kagome that I've heard so much about?" she inquired, giving her a small smile, though Kagome knew it had to have been forced.

The teen brunette nodded. "Yeah, I'm Kagome… Are you alright? Is there anything we can do for you?" she asked, furrowing her brows once more, this time in worry.

"Don't concern yourself about me. I've looked worse. I was just asking Inuyasha if I could stay here for a while since I can't go _home _yet," Kagura replied, looking back at the teen male who looked uneasy.

Kagome couldn't help but notice the slight stress on the word "home"—almost as if it pained the mysterious woman to utter it.

"Yeah," the teen male responded quietly, glancing away.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?" Kagome asked, feeling concerned for him as well and confused as to why he wouldn't want the woman that he obviously knew to stay in his apartment.

"I've known Inuyasha for a long time. It's my fault he's feeling this way. I'll own up to it," Kagura said. "I'll go and try and clean myself up, okay? I shouldn't have shown up like this."

Before Kagome could question further, Kagura made her way to the hallway bathroom, closing the door behind herself.

"I'm sorry, Kagome—I didn't mean for you to meet her like that," he muttered, still not looking at her. Instead, there was an angry expression taking over his features.

His temper was flaring as his mind wandered around, filled with the terrible visions of what Naraku and the rest of the goons had been doing to her since she had returned.

"Who is she to you?" Kagome asked, feeling very uneasy with the tense surroundings.

"She's almost like my foster mom… Kind of like _he's_ my…foster father," Inuyasha mumbled, saying the word "he's" with a great disdain and, if she wasn't mistaken, _hatred_.

"Don't tell me Naraku did that to her…?" she trailed off, keeping her voice low.

Inuyasha couldn't answer with words. He only nodded, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly as if to stop whatever fuse of his had been lit.

"Why doesn't anyone call the cops? Why doesn't she at least leave?" she asked, moving closer to Inuyasha, turning his chin towards her, trying to get him to look at her.

"Call the cops? Are you crazy? He'd have the person killed or at least wishing they were dead by the time the police even arrived. And leave? If she so much as thought about leaving, he'd for sure—"

"He'd for sure make me regret it. Probably in a way your young minds can't even begin to imagine…or at least I'd hope not," came a voice from behind them.

Kagome jumped from the sound of Kagura's voice. The woman had entered the room as silently as a breeze would have.

"Sorry; didn't mean to startle you," the older woman apologized, pressing a cool cloth to the bruised half of her face as she sat on the couch.

"No, no. I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy—just, I was worried," Kagome explained before taking Inuyasha's hand and sitting down on the sofa with him.

"It's just normal, human curiosity. Anything else you want to know?" she asked, not seeming bothered at all.

"I don't want to pry…" Kagome trailed off. The woman had a certain coldness to her, but it wasn't necessarily a mean coldness. It was, instead, almost as though she was empty on the inside—just a hard shell but a hollow core.

Kagura glanced over to Inuyasha, who remained silent, not staring at either of the two women.

"Hey, can you do me a favor and go get me some bandages for my arm, Inuyasha? I noticed you didn't seem to have any in the medicine cabinet," Kagura asked, reaching into her pants' pocket and pulling out a clip of money. "Use however much you want. I think you just need some fresh air."

The teen male looked at her unsurely, glancing at Kagome then her again.

"She'll be fine. Don't worry," she said, giving him a genuine smile.

He sighed, remaining otherwise silent, and kissed the side of Kagome's head before getting up. He quickly made a leave of the apartment, not taking the money offered with him.

He knew that Kagura was right. He needed a breather and she probably wanted alone time with Kagome. _'At least she'll be safe with her…'_ he quietly thought to himself.

Kagome was befuddled, looking towards the door.

"Inuyasha is a peculiar one, isn't he?" the older woman commented, taking the cool towel from her face.

"What do you mean?" the younger of the two asked, looking at the guest.

"Ever since he was younger, when Naraku found him, he's tried to put on a tough outer exterior around everyone except me and occasionally Naraku since the bastard is so menacing…but he doesn't seem to use that same mask around you. Instead of masking any emotion he had, he, for once, became visibly upset. That's not a good thing…" Kagura said, replacing the towel once more.

"Inuyasha used to seem really intimidating to me, but now, I know he's not a bad guy. Even if he is a little angry right now," Kagome said with a soft smile, trying to keep her attention on the unmarred side of Kagura's face.

"What I mean is you haven't seen Inuyasha lose his control yet," she almost nonchalantly replied.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, feeling a bit nervous to hear the answer.

"Don't worry—he wouldn't do anything to you that Naraku does to me. Inuyasha's stomach can hardly handle it. But…some things make him tick. Especially things that Naraku does. I've only seen it happen a few times, and I've known him since he was—I think—thirteen. Maybe fourteen."

"What does he do exactly? You said it wasn't a good thing that he's showing his anger," Kagome pressed, biting her lower lip.

Kagura shrugged. "He usually shuts down. Then he gets angry. It's usually when things are building up inside. When he does that, well, it's like a ticking time-bomb. He might break some things, leave for a while, punch a wall—I don't know. It depends, I guess. He has emotions despite what Naraku and all these other bastards think, though don't tell Inuyasha that I'm telling you all this. What I'm saying, though, is just watch him. I don't know if he can handle something else upsetting him right now."

"Okay, no problem," Kagome promised.

"Inuyasha's a good guy, though. If he does get that angry, it probably won't last for long. But don't quote me on it," Kagura said, smiling and leaning back into the couch.

"I know he's a nice guy. I mean, he treats me fantastically," the teen replied with a soft smile of her own.

"Trust me, you have no idea how much he'll be willing to go through just to keep someone he cares about safe and happy. Hell, I'm sure I don't know how far he'll go. But I know about things he's done just to keep some of Naraku's wrath off of me," Kagura laughed again, this time in a more bitter way when she mentioned Naraku's name.

Kagome stayed quiet, not knowing what to say back or what Kagura was referring to. She looked down at the coffee table, then up towards the window, trying to figure out what to talk about next. "Are you just visiting, or do you live around here?" she finally asked softly, hoping to break the slightly awkward silence that she was sure only she felt.

"It's supposed to be a visit, but I have a feeling Naraku is liking me around here, where he can have me in his sight…among other things, of course," Kagura said, closing her eyes and pressing the cloth over her bruise a bit more, hoping the swelling would begin to recede.

"Oh…"

"Sorry. I realize I can be a bit blunt and may even come off as frigid. I sometimes can't help it at this point," Kagura began to apologize.

"No, it's okay—I was just trying to find the words to respond. But if you ever need a place to stay, then just come here, okay? I don't care if Inuyasha refuses," Kagome offered.

"The only reason he was hesitant is because he didn't want you to see me like this. He wanted you to meet me, but again, not like this. Though the only time I don't look like this is if I'm away for a while or the bastard decides to give me a break, which is rare," Kagura shrugged.

"So, he wanted me to meet you?" Kagome asked, feeling a bit confused on why Inuyasha hadn't just said what Kagura had just told her.

The older woman nodded. "Yeah. I can tell he really cares about you. Don't get me wrong—he does have his own set of flaws, but I can tell he's working at them, even from the short time that I've been around so far. But speaking of Inuyasha, he should be back soon, so let's pretend to be chatting about other things or at least sitting in a peaceful silence."

"It'd be easier if he had a television," Kagome said with a smile, trying to ease the tension she felt.

Kagura let out a small huff of authentic laughter. "He's never been one for TV, but you never know. It wouldn't be the first time he's surprised me. Maybe I'll get him one soon."

Kagome nodded, idly talking with Kagura, answering questions about herself for the guest as they waited for Inuyasha to get back.

—_**xxxxx—**_

The following Monday soon arrived. Kagome went through class period after class period, listening to her peers speak of the field trip and dealing with the few who would occasionally bombard her with questions as to why she hadn't attended.

All she could do is smile to herself, already knowing she'd had a better time with Inuyasha and a day and a half with Kagura than she would have had on the trip.

After her Calculus period, she headed for her locker to put her book away and get ready to go to her next class. She heard footsteps come towards her from behind and stop.

Her brown eyes peered up as she turned around, expecting her boyfriend to be behind her. Instead, she was face to face with a student on the football team. "Can I help you?" she asked, having never spoken to the student before in her life or, if she had, only in passing.

"Hey. Kagome, right? I was wondering where you're going to be for lunch." He grinned.

She furrowed her brows and closed her locker. "Why do you want to know? I'm not in the student council anymore, if you need them for something."

"No, I don't need _them_ for anything. But if _you're_ not doing anything, well, I'm going to have some time on my hands, and I have a car where we could go."

"Look, I don't know what you expect. I'm not going anywhere with you. In case you hadn't heard…I have a boyfriend, perv, so leave me alone," she snapped back and began to walk away.

The football player followed after her. "Whoa, hang on. That hasn't stopped you before, has it? What? Do you require money now?"

Kagome stopped and turned around towards him looking shocked and angered. "Who the hell do you think you are? Are you calling me some kind of whore?"

"Well, that would depend. Is it going to be free?" he grinned.

"Get away from me! I'm not that kind of person!" she shouted, drawing the attention of a few students who passed by in the halls.

"Hey, I'm only going after what I heard, you dumb bitch—no need to bite my head off," he laughed, though he was becoming a bit agitated.

"Oh, I'm a dumb bitch when you probably don't know your own right from left. Who has the nerve to be spreading these rumors about me?" she demanded.

"Call me what you like, but that's not for me to say. Unless, of course, I'm getting something in exchange." A devious smirk appeared on his face again as he reached out for her arm, drawing her to him.

Kagome pushed away from him. "Don't you dare touch me! Do it again, and you won't have an arm to grab me with."

"Oh, is that so?" he teased again, not caring about the ever-growing audience around them since, now, more students had gathered in the halls, watching the display.

Kagome looked around, seeing students on both sides of the hall, and she let out an aggravated sigh, pushing past the football player. "You're not worth my time or my anger. Have a good life." She was going to leave it at that. If he wanted to be a prick, he could do it on his own time to someone else, but not her.

"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going? We aren't finished here," he gritted, angered that she rejected his "proposal." He grabbed her arm again to stop her in her tracks.

"I said leave me alone!" Kagome yelled back.

Suddenly, there was a collective gasp among her peers. Her head whipped around to see what they were gasping at. She saw her boyfriend pushing through the crowd. Inuyasha was headed towards the football player, having heard what had taken place by the students and seeing him grab Kagome's arm.

"Oh, look here, it's Inuyasha. Here to protect your bitch?" the football player laughed, dropping his backpack down to the ground and releasing his grasp of Kagome, preparing for what he knew would be a fight.

Inuyasha didn't respond, blinded by rage. He didn't even hear Kagome call out for him to stop.

Before anyone could do a thing, Inuyasha had swung, hitting the student in the jaw and knocking him off balance.

He was larger than the angered teen, but was being taken down quicker than anyone could have thought was possible.

Inuyasha was soon pinning the player on the ground with a knee in the center of his chest as he pounded away with his fists. Left punch. Then right. Left again. "Don't you ever fucking touch her!" he shouted, breaking his silence for the first time, grabbing the other teen's collar and striking him in the middle of his face with his free fist.

The football player's head bounced off the hallway ground, and he grunted, managing to grab Inuyasha' arm, throwing him off of him. He quickly got up and kicked Inuyasha in the side. "What are you going to do about it? You worthless piece of shit!"

The teen who had been harassing Kagome had a trail of blood streaking down from his nose and off his chin, but it didn't phase him.

Inuyasha held his side, getting up to his feet and getting ready to strike back, but only receiving multiple blows to his face instead. He spat out blood from biting his tongue onto the floor and managed to dodge an incoming punch. He kneed the jock in his groin, which managed to bring the larger male to his knees.

The students who were watching began yelling jeers at both of them, trying to egg both of the males on.

"_Kick his ass, Inuyasha!"_

"_My money's on the other guy!"_

"_I don't care who wins_—_they both need their asses kicked."_

The jeers went on.

Kagome shouted for Inuyasha to stop. "Please, Inuyasha! Stop this!" she pleaded, not wanting to get close to the scuffle, but ready to run over if she had to.

Inuyasha didn't hear her in his rage. He grabbed the football player's hair tightly and pulled his head back before punching him repeatedly, even managing to knee him against the bottom of his jaw. He then moved behind him and quickly got his arm around the teen's, pressing in with the crook of his elbow, choking him.

He ignored the jabs to his stomach by the player's elbow, pulling tighter. "Say you're sorry to her!" Inuyasha shouted through gritted teeth.

Kagome felt scared; she had never seen him this enraged before. She had then thought back to what Kagura had said. _"I don't know if he could handle getting upset over something else…" _She looked at the student whose face was reddening and who was struggling to breathe.

"So…sorr…sorry…" he managed to cough out in Kagome's direction.

The teen then let the other male's neck go and delivered a swift kick to his lower back, knocking the football player onto his stomach.

Inuyasha looked around, a bruise forming over his jaw and cheek, blood still coming from the corner of his mouth and from his lip. "Anyone else want to go on with these fucking rumors? If so, come right here, right now, and we'll settle it!" he shouted out, still engulfed with anger.

He then looked down the hallway and saw multiple teachers running to the scene, pushing past the students and grabbing both him and the other male, who was still trying to catch his breath on the floor.

Inuyasha wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and went peacefully with the teachers as they took them both to the principal's office.

Kagome hardly had the time to react as the teachers ushered the other students off to class. Before she could turn, a teacher stopped her as well and pointed her in the direction of the principal's office with the other two.

She could hardly imagine what was about to happen to the student who had harassed her, herself, and especially Inuyasha.

She even began to wonder if this really was what Kagura meant by him willing to do damn near anything to keep someone he cared about safe. Or if it was just a coincidence…

'_If it is what she meant, though…'_ she silently wondered to herself, wiping away the thought of what could have happened if Inuyasha had decided to not let go of the teen's throat.

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><p><strong>AND THAT'S THE END OF THIS CHAPTER OF RENEGADE! 8D *SHOT*<strong>

**Okay…I know the ending line sucked but I really didn't know how to end it out…. *SHANKED* DDDDX DAMMIT! I TRIED! Hopefully it was good enough. Let me know in a review! ^_^**

**Next update should be next week. 8D**


	30. Chapter 30

**HERE WE ARE AGAIN!**

**Thank you to all of you who Reviewed. I appreciate it. Sorry that I didn't get around to responding to you all though.**

**Other than that...I don't have much to say right now except that it's cool being graduated from High School but I honestly don't feel very different haha…**

**Whatever! Anyway I won't stall you for much longer. Here is chapter 30 of Renegade! Read, Enjoy, and review! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha!**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 30~<strong>_

The principal, along with two other teachers, escorted the teens towards the front of the school to the principal's office.

One of the teachers hurried ahead to shoo off a few students that had lingered behind, trying to get a peek at what was happening.

Kagome glanced at the questioning gazes, not even wanting to know what was going on through her peers' heads. Her mind turned its focus immediately back to the situation at hand. What would happen to them all? The teachers had to know she wasn't involved, or was she there purely to be a snitch?

What would she say to them? It would be best to just tell the truth of what happened. The guy was bothering her and grabbed her. Inuyasha probably thought that she was being hurt, so he rushed in to help… No, they'd never believe that. Especially not if they decided to ask a few other students around.

They finally reached the principal's office and were led inside towards chairs that were lined against a wall. Kagome was settled into place between the two males in case they decided to fight again.

It was dead silence…then the principle walked up in front of the three, staring dead at Kagome.

Her large brown eyes widened as the head of the school looked at her. "What was that little display in the hall, may I ask?" he nearly growled, his arms folded across his chest.

This was absolutely intolerable; there was no way the principal would let it slide. Kagome hadn't even recalled there being any physical fights in her school before just a few minutes were all for sure going to get some sort of suspension.

"Kagome had nothing to do with this," Inuyasha spoke up, noticing his girlfriend was struggling with her words. She shouldn't have had to come along too.

"I wasn't talking to you, young man," the principal snapped. His eyes moved back to Kagome. "Tell me, _Miss Higurashi_—what happened? I think I can trust you to tell me the truth."

"Well…" she began, glancing at both of the teen males on her sides.

"Don't look at them—look at me. They are not the ones you need to be answering to right now," the older male spoke again, sternness resonating in his tone. He even snapped his fingers to attract her attention.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth to keep from mouthing off to the principal for the way he was talking to his girlfriend.

"Sorry. Well, Haku was bothering me, and he wouldn't stop, even when I tried to walk away. Then people started to crowd around, and that's when he grabbed my arm, then Inuyasha showed up. He was only protecting me!" Kagome tried to explain, hoping that the principal would accept her answer.

If only it was going to be that easy.

The older man's eyes narrowed to slits and the corners of his mouth clenched into a frown. "I don't think it went that quickly. What was Haku doing exactly, and how did that cause a fight in my school?"

"He was harassing her. What Kagome just said," Inuyasha spoke up again, staring right back at the questioning man with an unwavering glare.

"Inuyasha, I told you I was not speaking to y—"

"And I don't give a damn! That bastard was putting his hands on Kagome and harassing her! I didn't know that sort of thing was tolerated here!" the teen cut off the elder, leaving the man flabbergasted.

"Don't you use that kind of language in here! We're splitting you all up and making a call home to your parents, Kagome and Haku… Inuyasha, we'll just have to have a chat with you. Unless there is an adult you would like us to call?" one of the teachers insisted, ushering for all of the teens to stand.

Inuyasha grumbled and rolled his eyes. "I'll survive…" He followed one of the teachers to a separate office peacefully, but his anger was building again. It seemed as though the principal was completely insensitive to what Kagome was telling him. How was that fair?

"You're lucky they stopped the fight, Taisho!" the football player shouted through gritted teeth before being lightly urged into another empty office by a teacher while another was doing the same for Kagome.

One by one, the principal visited the rooms—first, Haku's, then Inuyasha's.

"Haku tells me he was just talking to Kagome, and you came up and began fighting with him. Now…I ask you. Who would you be inclined to believe? He's a star football player, a great, straight-A student, has never caused a lick of trouble…then there's you. Pretty decent grades—As, Bs, and a C or two—a few ups and downs, an attitude that'll get you into more trouble than not, and has so far seemed to want to start a fight and swear at me," the principal lectured as he entered the room. "Though we did reprimand Haku for his display while we were separating you all."

"Your point?" Inuyasha asked uncaringly, sitting back in the chair he occupied.

"My point is that you're looking at being expelled if you don't lose the attitude and start talking. I'm not going to play the good cop game with you, Inuyasha," the principal said, sitting down across from the teen, folding his hands in his lap.

"I told you. He came to Kagome and started messing with her. She told him to leave her alone, then, guess what—he didn't. Then I got there and I made him stop," he gritted back, his temper rising from the mere thought of the other teen laying his hands on his girlfriend.

"Exactly how was he messing with her, do you think, Inuyasha?"

"For one, he was starting to follow her and, from the sound of it, making unwanted advances towards her. Don't believe me? Interview other students, though they'll most likely want my ass gone from this school, so they'll probably lie. But hey, it's worth a shot," the teen shot back, fire in his eyes.

"Calm down. We'll hear Kagome's side of it all, since she seems to be the only innocent one in all of this. If her story doesn't match up with yours, say hello to expulsion. If it does, then you'll only be suspended. Both you and Haku."

"That bastard should be expelled! He was sexually harassing her, you fucking—"

"If you keep using that sort of language towards me, I'll expel you no matter what. It's up to the decision of the school and how threatened Kagome feels. Now, I understand from Haku that you're her boyfriend, so there is a bias here—"

"What bias? He was _sexually harassing _her! That's not a bias—it's a fact! Now do something about it!" Inuyasha said, standing up, his anger reaching its peak.

"We'll find that out in a minute!" the principal attempted to shout back over the teen's voice, despite knowing it wasn't professional.

"You know what? Go ahead and suspend or expel me. But if you don't deal with that piece of shit, then I—"

"Be careful with your words. If there is a threat made against his wellbeing, you could easily be arrested and faced with serious charges," the principal said calmly back.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and sat back down, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Then you might want to hurry up and get to the bottom of this mess before I don't give a shit about what I say."

The older of the two stared at the younger, disappointment on his features. He stood and left the office, heading towards where Kagome was being held.

"Kagome, we've called your mom and told her what we believe the situation is. She's on her way to the school now," he mentioned softly.

"Oh, just perfect—that's what I need…" she muttered to herself, unsure of whether or not the principal heard her comment, though not particularly caring if he did.

"Kagome, I need you to tell me, in detail, what happened. There's serious accusations pointed at both of those young men. Please don't be biased because Inuyasha is your boyfriend. Be honest."

"I'm not going to incriminate Inuyasha. He did nothing wrong. Haku, on the other hand, came to me asked me to meet him in the parking lot and…do things for money." She looked away for a moment, feeling a moment of pain from having to say those words. Who would spread those lies about her? What had she done to have someone want to do that to her?

The teen continued, "I said no and told him to leave me alone. He wouldn't. He continued to mess with me, and when I tried to walk away, he grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me to him. Then out of nowhere, as I said, Inuyasha came from the crowds, enraged, and pulled Haku off of me. That's when the fight started," she said, looking her principal dead in the eye the entire time, seeming to not take a breath during her explanation.

"Did you feel sexually harassed by Haku?" he asked sternly.

"Very much so. The bastard deserved to get the crap beat out of him. But I told them both to stop fighting. But, let me guess…you want so badly to expel Inuyasha and keep Haku here, right?" she inquired, irritated and nervous at the same time.

"Now, Kagome, we are not making judgments on where they come from. I can tell that's what you're getting at. We just needed to know for sure what happened. There are other student witnesses who we are sure will be willing to talk with us as well."

"Yeah, and they'll just tell you Inuyasha started the fight for no reason; they won't mention what Haku said to me."

"We'll make sure to take everyone's statements into consideration. As for now, Inuyasha is being suspended for a week and Haku suspended indefinitely while we search further into the situation," he calmly replied back before standing.

"Is that it?" she asked, feeling as if it was all her fault for getting Inuyasha suspended, but knowing that no matter what she said, it wouldn't get revoked.

"So far, yes," the older man said to the young brunette before walking out of the office.

Kagome placed her face in her hands, trying to decipher the situation. Inuyasha was suspended; Haku, the star football player, suspended indefinitely and possibly expelled. There would, for sure, be backlash at her at school for that. Blame put on both her and her boyfriend for Haku's suspension.

Then…there was her mother. She would undoubtedly say "I told you so" to the teen. Kagome just knew it—she'd never hear the end.

She heard loud swears, only they weren't from Inuyasha—they were from Haku instead. She knew he had heard the news of his punishment and wasn't taking it well. She jumped from the sound of a slamming door and then silence.

She stood and walked out of the office she was being held in, looking at one of the teachers who had broke up the fight that took place earlier. The teacher silently escorted her to the main portion of the principal's office and sat her down in a chair.

Her eyes glanced up just as Inuyasha was walking out of the office, his eyes glued to the ground before they rose and met hers. He gave her a small smile and kept walking, being taken out of the school.

Her overwhelming sense of guilt washed over her once more, hitting her stomach like a rock would hit the bottom of an empty well. It was her fault. It had to be. If only she knew who was spreading the rumors about her.

Then it hit her… She knew where she could find out. The only problem was it would mean going to her old friends and snooping. She sighed, not knowing how she would approach them or what she would even say.

In the middle of her muddled thoughts, she heard a familiar voice speaking urgently with the principal before seeing the face of her mother.

Her heart felt as though it skipped multiple beats; the teen was surprised she didn't have a heart attack right then and there, as a matter of fact. She felt herself freeze in that instant, not even taking a breath.

"Come on, young lady" was all her mother said, gesturing for her daughter to get up and follow her.

Kagome managed to look away and stand, following behind her guardian out of the school and to their car.

"I knew he was nothing but trouble. Causing a fight at the school, getting you in trouble—"

"I'm not in trouble. Inuyasha is not trouble. You don't even know him! The only reason he got suspended was because he was protecting me, for your information! Because Haku, yeah, Haku, the star football player? He wanted something from me that I wasn't going to give, and I think you'll figure out what I'm talking about. So before you go accusing Inuyasha of these things, at least ask me!" Kagome shouted, not wanting to hear a long rant from her mother.

She wanted to stop her guardian right then and there in her tracks before the older woman's delusional mind convinced her that she was right and everyone else was wrong.

Her mother stared at her in shock, silent for a few moments. Then her daughter's words finally clicked in her head; her eyes widened, and her jaw slightly dropped. "Why would he ever ask something like that?"

"Because there's a rumor going around school that's what I do now, if you must know… I really don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm going to find out who spread it," the teen insisted, getting in the car, followed by her mother.

"Well, I do want to talk about it. Are you okay, Kagome?" she asked, concern taking over her voice, forgetting entirely about blaming the "rebel" teen.

"Yeah. I'm fine…" she sighed, looking out of the car window—stopping there without going further.

"Kagome, please, explain to me. I'm your mother; I need to know these things," the older woman pleaded.

"Alright, fine. Just—later… I need to gather my thoughts," the teen mumbled quietly to herself, her mind already beginning to space.

Her mother nodded, and they continued the car ride back to their home in silence.

—_**xxxxx—**_

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she exclaimed, running a hand through her auburn hair.

Inuyasha stared back at Kagome, irritated just as much as she was. "What do you mean what the hell is wrong with me? I was protecting you from that bastard!" He leaned back against his kitchen countertop, watching her step closer.

"But I didn't ask you to! You nearly got yourself expelled! I would have found out who started the damn rumors!" she shouted back, succeeding in being louder than him. Her eyes moved over to the living room, seeing Buyo duck under the couch, taking cover from their yells.

"I don't care if you didn't ask me to. You're my girlfriend, and I'll be damned if he's going to talk to you like that…let alone touch you," he nearly growled out.

Kagome sighed and moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha. "Look… I'm tired of fighting with you. It's all we've been doing since you picked me up earlier. Point is I didn't want you getting suspended because of me. I'm glad you're there to protect me, but beating the crap out of everyone won't solve anything…" She huffed, looking up at him. "Understand?"

His dark, charcoal gray-colored eyes looked down at her, and he wrapped his arms around her torso. "Yeah, yeah…" His lips found her forehead, and he placed a small kiss there.

"Alright then. Come on then—let's go out and get something to eat or, just… I don't know. Let's just go do something," she suggested, not feeling like staying inside.

"Right now?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah? What's wrong with right now? It's only seven…"

His mind began to wander, knowing that gang "brethren" would be out and about by now and especially by the time they would get back. "Nothing is wrong with right now… I just don't want you to meet any of the people I'm associated with," he said quietly, knowing she'd pick up on it if he lied.

"Well…you'll protect me, right?" She smiled, hugging him a little tighter.

Inuyasha nodded and leaned his head down to press his lips to hers.

Kagome tipped her head back slightly, just enough so he couldn't reach her. "But not violently…"

"I promise," he whispered quietly with a half-smile. Inwardly, he cursed himself, not knowing why he made a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.

"Good." Her lips captured his, and her hands made their way into his soft hair, twisting themselves in the tresses.

In the middle of their kiss, his mind began to focus on Naraku. Being suspended meant he didn't have an excuse to be gone from his side of town. Which could only mean one thing: More trouble.

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><p><strong>GAH DAMMIT. This chapter turned out really short, but I didn't know what else to put in there. Hopefully you guys will forgive me. D'X *Shanked* Okay…I deserved that…NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LONGER and so will the one after that...<strong>

**Anyway…Leave a review and let me know what you thought? ^_^ It feels great to be back!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter ^_^ I really appreciate it and I hope that you'll do the same for this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own InuYasha! I merely write stories for the series. :3

**PLEASE READ: **This **chapter contains content that may make some feel uneasy**. This is not intentional. You have been warned.

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 31~<strong>_

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, peering grudgingly at his alarm clock that continued to drone incessantly. He had forgotten to unset it for the next few days.

His hand came down on the snooze button and he turned back over, wrapping his arms around Kagome's sleeping frame.

'_Oh…shit,'_ he thought quietly to himself. _She_ still had to get up for school. He let out a soft yawn and looked down at her peaceful expression.

He sighed quietly; he didn't want to wake her, but he knew he had to. "Hey, Kagome, wake up…you need to get ready for school," he said in a hushed tone.

She only murmured and turned over, away from him, burrowing herself in his sheets further and placing a pillow over her head.

He laughed once and got up from the bed, being careful of Buyo whom had curled up on the floor right next to the bed. He disappeared into his bathroom to brush his teeth. _'This is the first day I'm going to be home in a long time…'_ The teen didn't want to stay in his apartment, but what other excuses could he come up with? Sure, driving Kagome to school would take up about twenty minutes there and back but…_all day_? What was he going to do?

He felt his stomach growl but ignored it; food was the least important thing on his mind at that moment. He heard a soft laugh come from the doorway of his bathroom and looked over; his toothbrush still poking out from his mouth.

"I could hear that from here; want me to fix you something to eat?" the now awake Kagome said, walking in and grabbing her own toothbrush, joining him at the sink.

Inuyasha shook his head, and then rinsed out his mouth. "No. I'll be fine," he smiled, kissing the side of her head before standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her torso.

"Then you can fix me something," she smirked, starting to brush her teeth. Her brows furrowed, though her face showed she was amused at the same time; her beau had his forehead against the crook of her neck.

After getting rid of the toothpaste in her mouth and rinsing, she looked back up, "You're feeling oddly affectionate right now…You're usually not a morning person."

He shrugged and turned her around gently, capturing her lips with his own, his hands finding her hips and pulling her body tight against his own. His tongue lightly trailed along the bottom curve of her lower lip.

"Ohhh, I get it," she giggled in the middle of the kiss, breaking it. "You're going to miss me all day, huh?" she asked, running a hand up his bare chest, her nails lightly raking over his skin.

"Nah," he joked, smiling as she playfully scoffed in response.

"Well fine then," she replied, kissing him quickly and gently pushing him away from her and slipping out of the bathroom. She tried to hurry up to the front of the apartment to escape his grasp.

Inuyasha laughed and quickly followed after her into the living room, catching her in his arms again, kissing her neck, "Oh no you don't."

"Ah! Yasha!" she giggled as he picked her up with ease; as though she weighed nothing. "What are you doing?" she laughed, trying to get free from his arms.

"You have to get ready for school," he said, kissing her neck again, then on her cheek while carrying her back to the bedroom.

She sighed, though a smile was still on her expression, "I guess," she tipped her head back and kissed him, getting free of his hold and grabbing some clothes. She went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and finishing up her normal morning routine.

After a peaceful breakfast had passed, Inuyasha led her out of the apartment to Naraku's car, taking her to school.

"What are you going to do all day?" she asked curiously, looking out of the window, watching how the scenery transitioned from his side of town into hers. Now that she was actually taking the time to look at it, the change was slow, subtle.

He shrugged, "I don't know. Hopefully I'll just lounge about in the apartment. Maybe I'll eat something later, since I didn't at breakfast. Are you going home after school or did you want me to pick you up?"

"My mom probably wants me home…so I'll go there and then I'll head over to your apartment maybe," she replied, looking over at him.

Inuyasha's hands tightened on the steering wheel for a short second, "I don't want you walking around my side of town without me with you."

"I'm not a child. I think can handle myself, Inuyasha," she defended, not wanting him to think she couldn't take care of herself.

"Just…trust me, Kagome. Okay? I just want to know for sure that you're alright. I know you can handle yourself to a certain degree, but…everyone needs a little help now and again," he tried to reason. _'Even though that's hypocritical of me to say…'_ he thought to himself immediately after he spoke.

"Alright, I'm not going to argue right now. As for you staying in the apartment, at least try and keep yourself busy…but not too busy," she smirked.

He nodded his head with a small grin of his own, "Okay."

Once they arrived, he stopped the car and leaned over to the passenger seat, giving her a short, sweet goodbye kiss.

"See you later, try to not get into any trouble," she softly smiled, kissing him again.

"I'll try." He looked into her dark hazel eyes and then at the school. "You might want to get going, you don't want to be late," he said, leaning in for one final kiss; neither wanted to stop kissing the other.

Kagome returned the embrace before nodding and getting out of the car. She waved, receiving one in return and watched him drive off.

She looked at her school and gave a deep sigh, knowing that today would be an eventful day.

—_**xxxxx**_—

Inuyasha pulled up to the curb, looking at his apartment to the right and then across the street at Naraku's to his left; he was torn about which way to head. He knew that the gang leader was already aware that he had been suspended and had to of been expecting him.

The teen sighed, knowing it'd be nothing but a Catch-22. Nothing with Naraku could ever be the right choice, even if it was agreeing with him. If he went home he'd be in the wrong because he didn't go check in with the older male. If he went to the other apartment he may be interrupting something or become an annoyance.

Inuyasha got out of the car slowly; he knew which way he had to head. He slammed the car door behind himself and trudged over to the apartment where he assumed the gang leader was awaiting him.

On his way, he let his eyes glance around the deserted neighborhood. It was oddly quiet—even though it was early—there would usually be at least one hint of a gang member or a car driving by every now and again, or other people in the neighborhood walking about…but there wasn't. That could never be a good sign.

The teen began to feel a bit uneasy and his brows furrowed, but he continued his way upstairs, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans.

'_Great…no switchblade,'_ he silently thought to himself, remembering that he had taken it out of his pockets and hid it because Kagome hated him having it on himself. _'What if this is an ambush to try and 'snap some sense' into me?' _he quietly fretted in his mind.

As he approached Naraku's door he inhaled deeply, pushing away the sick feeling he had in his gut that screamed at him with a fiery passion to turn around. He could only hope that just this one time he'd be wrong about the feelings he was having. Though his hopes for that weren't very high.

He turned the knob and pushed open the door to the eerily quiet apartment. Inside he saw bottles of beer strewn about the kitchen countertop along with a white block of powder that was partially wrapped in plastic that had a big rip in the side, allowing the powder to seep onto the counter.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was: Cocaine.

Inuyasha eyed the pack while he called out for Naraku, waiting to hear some sort of response. A few long seconds passed in the uneasy atmosphere but he received no answer and called out again, closing the door gently behind him and looking away from the drugs. If Naraku was in here he was going to be off his rocker.

His eyes glanced over to the hallway seeing Kagura appear and rush over to him; shushing him. "He's asleep, please, _please_ don't wake him…" she pleaded in a hushed voice. "What do you need?"

"I thought he might want me for something," the teen whispered back, wanting to grimace at seeing the fresh bruises to Kagura's face and neck.

"He hasn't mentioned anything. If I were you I'd get out of here though okay? He was doing a few drugs not too long ago so when he wakes up you know he's going to be even worse. I'd rather you not be here for that," she urged, hoping Inuyasha would turn around and leave then.

Kagura didn't reveal that Naraku had been growing increasingly angry at the thought of Kagome using up all of Inuyasha's time. That he told her he would deal with it one way or another the next time he saw the teen male. His irrational state before Inuyasha had arrived had even Kagura scared.

"Then come with me. I hate seeing him hurt you, Kagura," he retorted sternly, feeling more than just a tinge of anger towards the sleeping male, unaware of why the woman in front of him truly wanted him gone.

"I can't right now. If you want I'll come by your apartment later, just please, Inuyasha, do me this favor and—"

"Leave?" said the only other voice in the apartment. "He's done enough leaving, don't you think?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he caught Naraku's narrowed gaze.

"What the hell is going on here, huh? Are you two fuckers plotting something behind my back? Cause if so, let me know, please," the older male slurred. Whether his slurring was from him being hung-over, high, or drowsy, neither of the two could really tell.

"Naraku please…" Kagura started to say; taking a short pause to try and figure out what to say next.

"Shut the fuck up!" he growled, his eyes fixated on Inuyasha all the while. "Why are you here, Inuyasha? Trying to whisk Kagura away from the evil, old Naraku, eh?" he smirked, a disturbing chuckle leaving his lips as he walked over and grabbed her by the back of her neck.

"Naraku, no, that's not what he was doing. It was—" her words were cut off as she winced and gritted her teeth, his hand tightening painfully around the back of her neck.

Inuyasha stood frozen where he was; not wanting to move in case the older, drugged male were to do something to Kagura. "Come on, you're hurting her!" he blurted out, his eyes broad at the sight before him.

"Oh am I? And why should you care? She's not your bitch; she's not even your real mom. When you were younger you didn't say shit to me. Now all of a sudden your little whore comes into the picture and you decide—"

"She's not a whore!" Inuyasha shouted at the other male, his fists clenching tightly before uncurling again.

Kagura managed to shoot the teen a look, wanting to tell him to not yell back, but she knew he couldn't help it.

"Oh? Have you two not fucked yet, Inuyasha? You should fix that," Naraku laughed. "She's gotta be good for something."

Inuyasha's anger began to rise, his hands curling into fists once more as the older male continued to talk about his girlfriend.

Naraku's demeanor began to change as the seconds passed, "I've had just about all I can take with you and Kagura disobeying me. First you start talking back and now her? I'm not having it. Kagura has been my _obedient _whore for the past eight years and you an obedient wuss for the past six…So would you say that it's a coincidence that Kagome comes into the picture and you both begin to act like this? I think not," his tone swiftly turning serious and deadly. "What has she been putting into your heads?" he shouted, near top of his lungs.

Kagura flinched before speaking up again, "Naraku just leave him alone please; take your anger out on me not him. You're just high—" another strained sound of pain came from her mouth.

Naraku quickly threw Kagura to the ground, causing her head to bounce off of the wood flooring. "I told you to shut your fucking mouth! It's only good for one thing," he spat out at her. "I'll do whatever the hell I want, when I want, and how I want. Is that clear?" he shouted, his voice booming through the apartment and sending a tremor down Kagura's back.

Inuyasha stepped in between the enraged drug addict and who he considered to be his foster mother, "Stop it! You're not going to touch her or Kagome!" he gritted out, fire in his eyes. His heart felt as though it beat a thousand times a second, his palms beginning to sweat. What was he doing? Why on Earth was he challenging Naraku's authority?

The look in Naraku's face was enough to quickly shut him down. The older male's smirk only grew and he became quiet for a bit, scanning Inuyasha's face. "Well look who has grown a pair of balls and is now telling me what I _am_ and what I _am not _going to do." His hands moved up into the air as if he were surrendering. "Go ahead Inuyasha, make my day. Do something; I'll give you a free shot. Do it. Right now. Let's see who the real man is," he taunted.

Inuyasha was ready to strike him but his hands wouldn't move. He already knew it was a trap. If he were to strike Naraku in this state, it'd only come back to bite him in the ass later. It could even get Kagome hurt.

Naraku stared him down, his gaze unwavering, "What? All talk?"

Inuyasha swallowed painfully, his throat was dry, his eyes darted around the room and he looked down at a pained Kagura who wasn't daring to stand up again. Her eyes avoided them both, the look on her face was as if she was searching for something to do; somehow to get Naraku's attention away from the teen.

Inuyasha's eyes moved around the room and back at Naraku who had placed his hands back down. He faintly heard a clicking sound in the background, but paid it no mind.

"Well, well, look here. Looks like it's true. You're all bark and no bite." The gang leader glanced behind the teen and nodded once.

Before he realized what was happening, two other gang members had grabbed Inuyasha from behind. They had come out of the hall when he wasn't looking. The clicking sound had been the door to the apartment opening and closing.

"We heard you yelling, boss, what's going on?" one of them asked, gripping Inuyasha tightly.

The onyx-haired teen struggled against their grasp, almost escaping, but was then pinned to the floor with his arms behind his back, painfully twisted around. They pressed his head harshly against the wood floor until his cheek and his jaw felt as if they'd be crushed under his own weight and likely theirs as well.

"What's going on is that Inuyasha and Kagura think they can now call the shots. I guess I'm not making it clear enough who runs the show here. So a little lesson is about to be taught," Naraku smirked.

"You're a fucking bastard!" Inuyasha tried to yell at the older male, still pushing against his assailants. Now, scared for Kagura's life, the teen wanted to lash out. _'Why does your fucking courage only come out when it's too late?'_ he reprimanded to himself.

"Oh really? I can show you how much of one I can be," Naraku grinned maliciously. "I've been in the mood for it lately anyway."

Kagura's eyes widened as the words left his lips, they made her try and scramble to her feet. Though, before she could get up, Naraku delivered a swift kick to her gut, causing the wind to be knocked out of her chest.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth, "What are you doing? Stop it!"

Kagura turned over on her back, trying to scoot away, "Please…n-not now. Not in front of Inuyasha," she panted, holding her stomach. He had threatened the woman with this before, but she had never believed that even Naraku could be that vicious.

Naraku narrowed his eyes and reached down, grabbing her by her hair, kneeling down. "Do you make the rules or do I? I decide how I handle rebellion!" he shouted back.

Kagura tried to jerk away from him to no avail, only seeming to please him more with her struggle.

His reddened eyes slowly traveled to Inuyasha's pinned frame, "What'll it be Inuyasha? Which do you want to watch as a lesson for you to learn that I can do what I want when I want? Me getting to have my way with this worn-out old whore or me dealing with Kagome in a manner that I choose?"

The teen's eyes widened and he struggled against his two assailants more, "Don't you dare!"

"You're not in a position to be calling the shots here. Are you thirty-three years old? Did _you _raise _me_? No, of course you didn't, because if you had of I'd be just as worthless and pathetic as you are right now. So, I'm going to show you just how much of a fucking bastard I am and what I'm capable of. You think I care about either of you? Why should I care when I get no damn respect?" Naraku's face grew redder with each word and a vein bulged in his neck from the ferocity of his words.

"Naraku please—" Kagura pleaded, her hands on his arm trying to pry him away from her hair.

"Inuyasha, what is it going to be?" he asked again, ignoring her futile attempts. "I can easily go and deal with Kagome if you want. I'm tired of that bitch keeping you away from this gang. There are more important things that you could be doing."

He slammed Kagura down onto the floor again when her nails raked across his forearm, scratching him. "Bitch," he gritted out. His hands gripped the button down blouse she was wearing and he began ripping open her shirt just as he had done to her an uncountable amount of times before.

For the first time, Inuyasha saw fear in her eyes. Something she had told him she stopped feeling when Naraku would do this to her. He could only wonder if she had lied about no longer fearing what Naraku would do to her or if it was because he was now about to watch the older male having his way with her.

The teen didn't want to be a witness; he felt repulsed and clenched his eyes, refusing to look. The second his lids closed he heard Naraku's spiteful voice boom again.

"Open your eyes or I'll just do what I want to anyway to _both_ of them. So last chance…you watch Kagura and I or I may go pay Kagome a visit and let her know myself that if she doesn't stop putting these rebellious ideas in your heads that she's going to have a little issue walking for the rest of her fucking life!"

"I swear she's n-not putting anything in our heads, Naraku! Please stop! Not here, not right now!" Kagura yelled, trying to convince Naraku of Kagome's innocence. Her words to Naraku were mixed with anger, fear, and embarrassment.

She was trying her best to cover up her chest from view. She more so wanted to shield herself from Inuyasha rather than the other two gang members in the room; she didn't care what the other two saw, only what the teen did.

"Please Naraku, I'll do anything you ask, just stop threatening Kagome and please don't make me do this in front of Inuyasha!" she begged again. She was trying her best to ignore the sharp pains that shot across her skull from the contact it had made with the hard flooring.

"Don't fucking lie to me!" he shouted back, coming within less than an inch of her face, the rage in his voice scaring her into silence.

He wasn't seeing reason, there was no way they could make him see reason. In his head he was right and they were wrong. Kagome was pulling Inuyasha away and now was somehow pulling Kagura away. He wasn't going to have it.

Inuyasha's heart was pounding, he couldn't believe how sick Naraku was to make him decide if he wanted to watch Kagura be violated or his girlfriend threatened, violated, and possibly killed. "This isn't right! It's not fair!" the teen shouted, still struggling to no avail.

The two men above him only laughing and kept his head as it was. "Who said anything about fair, you little shit?" one of them commented, though his eyes were glued on Kagura's exposed body as Naraku pinned her arms over her head.

Naraku only smirked, "I think we know what you're going to choose to watch."

Inuyasha felt sick to his stomach, this was going to happen whether he chose it or not. He felt as if he was going to vomit right then and there as he heard another tear and watched as Kagura's underwear were tossed to the side followed by the sound of ruffling clothing and a zipper.

It all happened to fast for him to realize it. He heard her cry out in pain and Naraku grunt. He wanted to shut his eyes but knew he couldn't. His breath grew erratic and he began to dry heave, nothing was in his stomach, thankfully, for him to lose.

His eyes were forced to stay on Kagura's pained face as her head was pushed into the floor more by Naraku's hands now on her neck, gripping tightly.

Inuyasha could only watch in horror as her expression contorted in pain and she tried her best to avoid eye contact with him. Her eyes grew glassy and he watched, for the first time, a tear slide down her cheek and onto the floor. She softly strained out a hoarse, "I'm sorry…"

Naraku only laughed at the apology and sped up his relentless attacks. "Why apologize? It feels good, love," he grunted again. He leaned down to her and whispered in her ear.

The teen watched as she looked sick and ashamed.

"No…" she muttered lowly, closing her eyes tight. Her eyes swiftly shot open again as Naraku raised a hand and harshly slapped her face.

"I told you to keep your eyes open," he growled. "Now say it."

Inuyasha heard mumbled comments come from the men above him, whom were actually enjoying the horrific scene before them. He felt his stomach twist into knots, hating Naraku more than ever. The older male had succeeded in his point. Whatever he said went; there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Inuyasha didn't want to have to submit, but what was he to do? If he even made an attempt to leave the gang without Naraku's "blessing" he be killed…or at least wishing for death. What about Kagome? What would happen to her?

The teen looked down to the wood flooring; no longer wanting to witness the attack on Kagura but his head was jerked back up by one of the men whom were holding him down.

"Say it Kagura…" Naraku laughed, taunting her.

"I love you…" she mumbled out, just loud enough for them to hear. The look on her face was one of pure hate before it contorted again with pain.

"There's a good whore," he tormented again.

Naraku was sick. How could he make her say such a thing to him while doing what he was doing?

The more Kagura's face grimaced, the more ill Inuyasha felt. His head began to spin and feel light. As though he was going to pass out; his heart was beating erratically.

He was about to try and turn away again, but then he heard Kagura gasp and Naraku let out a series of low grunts before pulling away from her. He smirked at them both and stood, readjusting himself and nodding at the two men whom were staring at Kagura's body as she quickly tried to cover herself once more.

"Stop your staring!" Naraku shouted. He ran a hand through his hair and let his breathing return to normal before speaking again.

The men let Inuyasha go and stood up as well, averting their gaze to avoid the wrath of the gang leader.

"Now, what are you going to tell Kagome the next time you have something that I need you to do?" Naraku asked. Every word felt as though it was belittling Inuyasha to his very core.

"That I have to go," he mumbled, fighting every urge he had to jump up and try to strangle the older male.

"That's right, and if she begs you to stay?" he smirked, seeing the anger in Inuyasha's eyes, only pressing him further.

"Too…bad," the teen replied brokenly, knowing that if he were to strike out, it could be the end of both him, Kagura and possibly even Kagome.

"Good job, I guess you do learn fast," Naraku said, looking at Kagura who had sat up and drawn her knees to her chest.

She didn't dare leave until he said so, hoping to steer clear of any more of his "lessons."

"Come on you two, I need your help jumping a new guy in the gang," he said with sick humor in his voice.

Inuyasha sat up once the three men had left the apartment sitting in an uneasy silence once again with Kagura. "Kagura…I'm—"

"No. I'm sorry," she choked out. Her voice hoarse and broken from tears she was fighting like hell to hold back.

"You don't have—"

"I should have told you just how much his hate had grown with Kagome being around and you spending time with her…" she sighed jaggedly, trying to keep herself under control. Never before, except for the first few times, had Naraku's violations of her, affected her so badly. "I didn't know he'd do something like this…"

"It's not your fault," Inuyasha said, fighting the nausea that was still upon him, reaching out to lightly touch Kagura's shoulder.

She flinched at the contact and looked at him, her eyes filled with more sorrow than he had ever seen before. "Sorry…I just…I need a bit to myself. Just promise me that you won't let his threats ruin your relationship with her…"

"I don't want her getting hurt…and if breaking up is the easiest thing…to do…" he started, his mind feeling as though it were disintegrating. He couldn't focus, he was disturbed from all that had just happened and torn about what he should do next.

"Promise me Inuyasha. I know how much you love her. I can see it in your face," she said quietly, forcing herself to stand, wincing as she did.

The teen quickly stood as well, though didn't know how to respond back, his mouth opened, trying to get out words but he couldn't. How was he supposed to respond to that?

"It's alright. Just…go to your apartment. I'll stop by later," she quietly whispered walking away, her steps as soft as a feather,

His charcoal eyes looked at the floor, seeing a spot of blood trickle into the spacing in the wood. He heard the shower come on from the bathroom and took that as his cue to leave. Clenching his stomach he turned and walked out of the apartment.

His mind whirled, mixing Kagura's words, what he saw, what he felt, and what he feared all into one. He knew keeping Kagome out of harm's way was going to get a thousand times more difficult.

The teen could only hope that he was finally wrong.

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><p><strong>Okay…soooo I hope this chapter was okay? Yes? I'm sorry. D: I know angst…but that's what the story is! *Shanked*<strong>

**Dammit! DX**

**Well the next update should be next week or the week after. I might be a bit busy. Let me know what you think in a review! ^_^**

**ALSO PLEASE READ: **I would like you all to go **vote in a quick poll **that's on **my profile**. It's **about this story**. ^_^;;; I'd **appreciate any feedback **that you are willing to give. But the poll **question is important.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Alright, sorry that I took a break for a week I was brainstorming and everything. But so far the poll has gotten some pretty interesting results. I'll let it run for another week before closing it and letting the votes known. ^_^**

**Thank you to all who reviewed! I appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: **I DIDN'T OWN InuYasha 31 CHAPTERS AGO, DO YOU THINK I'D OWN IT NOW?

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 32~<strong>_

(Takes place parallel with last chapter's events)

It was only the first period of the day and the day was already dragging on. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock was mocking her. What felt like five minutes had only been one, maybe two, in reality.

Kagome sighed and began to hum softly to herself; hoping to keep herself entertained and focused on the History lesson she was getting. So far, nothing was working; it was all a bunch of _blah blah blahs_. She huffed, frustrated that her mind was staying scattered.

As her eyes darted around the room she noticed a few students staring at her with suspicion in their eyes and whispering between them. She narrowed her eyes slightly and turned away; forcing herself to ignore them. She was going to figure out who had been spreading the rumors about her and why. It was going to be her main goal.

The longer the stares from her peers continued, the more her temper grew. If the bell didn't signal class to end soon, she'd for sure have an "episode" in the middle of class. By episode, it meant she'd be likely to tell them off for staring at her. What? Did they think it was her fault?

After that, it didn't take long for her wish to come true; the alarm sounded off and class was dismissed.

'_One down, five more to go…'_ she grudgingly reminded herself. She packed up her things and swiftly headed out of the class before any of the other students got a chance to approach her. Though that was if they even dared to bother her right then. The young brunette could of sworn she heard one mention something about her having a hit put out on them.

She could only roll her eyes as she traversed down the hallway, receiving hushed voices along the way. _'How can people be so stupid…'_ she wondered to herself, passing by more than a few whispering students.

"_Think Inuyasha's going to seek revenge?" _one said.

"_Nah, I don't think he can afford to go to jail," _another responded.

Despite their hushed tones, Kagome could hear every word and she wasn't sure if they were doing it on purpose or they just couldn't keep their voices down. If they were doing it on purpose to try and tick her off though, it wouldn't have surprised her.

"Hey, Kagome! Wait up!" a familiar voice called from behind her accompanied by the sounds of flat-soled shoes tapping on the smooth floors.

Kagome's eyebrows raised and she turned around, her eyes widening to the surprise she saw before her. "Eri? What on Earth do you want?" she skeptically asked, "Here to question how much I'm charging for my apparent services?" she asked, "Or maybe you want to know if Inuyasha finally got expelled?" a tinge of irritation and sadness in her voice.

Her ex-friend's expression quickly changed to one of sympathy, "No…Kagome listen. Ayumi, Yuka, and I miss you…I'm sorry to hear about the rumors too and—"

"What? It's been _months_. You guys have made no effort into trying to become my friends again. So I don't see what the change would be. I don't need your pity. I need answers," Kagome retorted, quickly cutting her off.

"No, Kagome listen. We just didn't know how to approach you. We thought you hated us after what happened, you would hardly look at us when we passed you in the halls. It was like we didn't exist to you once Inuyasha came into your life," Eri trailed off, nothing but sincerity in her eyes. "Then of course when you were with Inuyasha we didn't want to come up to you because, well, we didn't want anything to feel awkward."

Kagome's brows furrowed for a short while before her features softened, "I guess I did ignore you guys. But only because you were all being completely ignorant and unfair. Inuyasha is the only one I guess I felt I could talk to. After what happened I figured I wasn't welcome back," she defended, though understanding where her past friend was coming from.

But it didn't excuse her behavior. Either of theirs. Kagome couldn't stay mad though. After all she had known Eri for a large chunk of her life. She hadn't wanted to throw that away. But what was she supposed to do when they all started ganging up on her boyfriend and kicked her out of the group?

"I know and we're sorry, but it's not like that, honestly. Please, if there is _anything_ we can do…We'll do it," Eri offered, hoping that Kagome would agree.

The other teen female sighed, looking to the ground then back up, "I don't know…let's talk about it at lunch. Okay? The bell is about to ring."

A smile came over Eri's face and she clapped, excited, "Deal!"

Kagome nodded, unable to share in her joy just yet. Giving a wave, she quickly walked off, her mind swirling with a whole new wave of thoughts. First she was shunned, then the rumors, the fight, now she wasn't shunned anymore? What was going on with her school and its students?

Maybe it was an end of the year thing. Since in six short months they'd all be graduating maybe her friends wanted to reconcile so they didn't end on such a sour note?

Whatever the reason, this would be her chance to find out what happened just a couple of days before…

—_**xxxxx—**_

Later that day, during lunch, Kagome spotted the three girls she had once been so familiar with. Instead, now, they had become like strangers on the street. She walked over to them in a secluded area away from all of the other students.

'_Looks like a really shady deal is about to happen,'_ Kagome was able to quietly muse to herself.

The three were sitting side by side on one half of the bench, they were all giggling talking amongst themselves. When Kagome took the other half of the bench and set her lunch tray down, they silenced. She had surprised them since she was so quiet when she walked up.

'_So where do we go from here?'_ she wondered to herself.

The small group sat in an awkward silence for what seemed like forever before Ayumi was finally the first to speak up. "I'm sorry, Kags. The things we said…the way we treated you and Inuyasha…It was stupid and immature. I think I drew my line with the group when I heard my boyfriend, well _ex-boyfriend_, talking bad about you and then insulting me for ever being friends with you."

Kagome's eyes widened in shock, surprised that Ayumi would break up with her boyfriend of several years because of what he had said about her and their previous friendship.

"I'm really sorry too!" Yuka chimed in, drawing her lower lip into her mouth, nervously chewing on it. "It was wrong of us. We really want to patch things up between us. It's better late than never right?"

"Before I say I'm sorry, I—" Kagome began.

"We don't want an apology from you. We don't even expect one. We were mostly the ones in the wrong…in fact we think we were _entirely _in the wrong. We never should have excluded you just because you wanted everyone to stop talking about Inuyasha," Eri spoke up, looking straight at Kagome. "I don't know why we thought that talking about him would make us any cooler. You only wanted us to stop being such bullies."

Kagome sighed, looking at the table, "Look, guys, I do want to try and get our friendship back. Yes, I know that you're sorry," Kagome began, "But first I need to know something…"

"What, Kags? Anything!" Yuka urged, not sure of what else to say.

"Who spread those lies about me?" Kagome asked straight out. If there was going to be at least one person who knew, it would be one of these three. "I think you know what lies I'm talking about."

Yuka bit her lip again, looking even more worried.

Kagome's eyes locked onto the nervous one of the bunch, "Yuka, please. I can tell you know…It's ruining what little reputation I have. It got my boyfriend suspended, and it got me sexually harassed, it's more than just a little prank or some stupid joke."

Yuka sighed heavily, her eyes growing wet, "I'm sorry, Kagome…I-I never knew what he said would get around like that…I told him to stop but he said you deserved it for what you had done to him."

"What who said? What did I do?" Kagome asked, growing more confused with every word. She hadn't done anything to deserve what had happened. Had she?

Ayumi looked at Kagome and began to look just as guilty, "It was Musou. He told us that he was going to get back at you for telling everyone that he was scared of water and all that. He wanted to embarrass you like you embarrassed him. But he said that months ago! Before you and Inuyasha were dating. It was, like, maybe a week or two after you had said what you did. But, since he didn't do anything right away we figured he was bluffing and just angry."

Ayumi's words rushed out in what seemed like one breath and Kagome was hit with the epiphany. The look she had seen in Musou's eyes so long ago, near the beginning of the school year; the vengeance he sought.

"That bastard!" she shouted, slamming her fist down on the table.

The contact against the tabletop caused the other three girls to jump and look the enraged teen with concern, "We're so sorry we didn't say anything before. To be honest we didn't hear of the rumors again until about two weeks ago. But by then it was too late," Eri said.

The noise had even drawn the attention of others, but the enraged brunette didn't care.

Kagome clenched her jaw shut, trying to fight back the tears she felt sting at her eyes. They weren't from sadness but from the anger, the frustration that she felt. What was worse was the feeling of betrayal from the group of people she used to call her friends. Not so much at the three girls that sat in front of her but by the rest, especially Musou.

"I'm going to handle him…" Kagome mumbled softly to herself, standing up, leaving three wide-eyed girls sitting alone at the lunch bench.

They quickly got up and followed her.

Kagome marched over to where the rest of her past group of friends sat, laughing and conversing as if nothing had changed. "Musou!" she shouted with such anger in her voice that nearly the entire lunch area went silent.

"What do you want, Miss Slut?" he smirked, standing up, towering over her comparably small frame.

"First of all, I'm not a slut. Second of all, I refuse to look up at your slimy, disgusting self!" she cried out, swiftly kneeing the larger male hard below his belt, easily bringing him down to his knees.

"Agh…you bitch!" he grunted out.

Kagome ignored the gasps that came from the crowd that had since grown closer to the scene.

"You are such a bastard! I want you to tell everyone here that those rumors aren't true!" she shouted, her hands clenched into fists. Her anger had boiled up to its apex. She couldn't hold it in any longer. He had taken his vendetta against her too far.

"Or what?" he laughed lowly, only loud enough for her to hear, still cupping himself.

"Kagome come on let's go before a teacher hears about this…" one of her friends said from behind her.

Kagome ignored them and knelt down to Musou's level; her eyes narrowed, her expression dark. "Or else you'll be experiencing pain a lot worse than just a knee to the balls," she snapped.

He looked at her, looking unphased, "By who? Your Neanderthal of a boyfriend?" he grinned.

"Nope. By me," she replied, no humor or amusement in her voice. She didn't really know what she would have done since her mind could think of no more than just hitting him in the balls again, but the change in his demeanor was enough to convince her that whatever he thought she was implying was working.

"Now tell them," she demanded, standing back up, trying to keep the tone that was in her voice before.

"I made up the rumors…" he mumbled, begrudgingly looking up at her.

"So _everyone_ can hear you, you bastard!" she ordered louder.

"I made up the rumors that Kagome was whoring herself! They aren't fucking true!" he shouted, standing, wincing, still in pain from her attack earlier.

Suddenly an uproar of hushed voices took over.

"Happy, bitch?" Musou bit out, nothing but hate filling his eyes.

"Hey! Don't call her that! This is what Kagome meant before. You all are nothing but bullies trying to bring others down to make yourself feel better!" Yuka shouted out, standing next to Kagome.

"You guys are suddenly her friends again? You're no better than us. You're all fake. Two-faced." one of the peers called from the lunch table.

"First of all, we're not two-faced. We were just too stupid to see what she did before. Second, yes, we're friends again. Got a problem? Well that's too damn bad. We made a mistake to ever turn our backs on Kagome! That's something we're never going to do again," Eri proclaimed with a swift retort.

"I don't know why we ever bothered with you people." Ayumi added in.

Kagome looked at the three girls in shock, it was like they were back on their elementary school playground and they were helping to protect her from the little boys would sometimes pick on her. She couldn't help but smile, realizing that they were really her true friends. Albeit they had practically abandoned her, but she had abandoned them right back. _'You can't right a wrong with another wrong…'_ she thought to herself.

"Come on guys…let's go," Kagome finally spoke up, gesturing that they go their separate ways from the group of friends she never wanted to reconnect with.

The three followed off behind her, leaving their past group along with at least seventy other students aghast.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Meanwhile, Inuyasha sat back on his couch with his hands covering his face. He felt nauseous, anxious, scared, confused, and just about every emotion one could feel after experiencing what he had just witnessed.

He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, still unable to get his nerves calm.

"Here…" Kagura spoke softly, coming from his kitchen and sitting beside him.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked at the battered woman beside him. He was thankful she was able to make it to his apartment without running into Naraku again. He looked at her hands and saw a glass filled with water in one hand and two small pills in the other.

"I don't want to take any pills…" he cautiously replied.

"You can trust me. I'm not Naraku…remember that, Inuyasha. They're just anti-anxiety pills. For your panic attack," she commented quietly, handing the items over to him.

He furrowed his brows at her and shook his head, "I don't have panic attacks—" he tried to defend.

She only gave him a stare that made him quiet down and listen to her, "You do. Whether you want to believe it or not. Now take them," she urged, getting back up to get ice for her bruises.

"Okay…" he mumbled quietly. As he swallowed the medicine his mind wandered to what was happening to Kagome at school.

'_I've caused so much hell for her…All within the six months we've been together,'_ he solemnly thought.

"What's wrong?" Kagura asked, as if sensing that his mind was not in a happy place. "Well…other than the obvious," she quietly added.

"Nothing," he insisted.

"Don't give me that bull, Inuyasha. Now tell me," she pressed, slowly making her way back towards the couch since every step felt as though she was being stabbed from the inside out.

"I just…I hate for what I've caused to happen. To you, to Kagome…"

"You haven't caused anything. It's not your fault Naraku is a sadistic fuck, okay?" she assured, pressing the ice to her cheek, she took a deep breath. "He would do those things to me anyway. Besides, I don't think Kagome could be any happier with you. You know I'm always right," she attempted to joke.

Inuyasha gave her a half-hearted smile, looking at the hardwood below his feet. "I don't want her to get hurt," he mumbled, his smile slowly fading.

"You're here to protect her—"

"I can't protect her…I couldn't even protect you. I'm weak," he cut her off, his jaw tightening.

"With that attitude, yes, you are weak. You've protected her this far. Trust me…if Naraku wanted to hurt her, he would have by now. Something is stopping him, at least I believe so. That thing may just be you," she shrugged, "I could be wrong…But don't throw away a chance at happiness because of him."

"And if she gets hurt?" Inuyasha asked, looking Kagura in the eye. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Just stay with her. Don't leave her alone, especially around him or in this apartment, okay? At least not if Naraku knows she's here," she warned.

Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah…I know, but it'll just be better for both of us if I were to just…break it off," he brokenly replied.

"Is that really what you want?"

"Of course it's not…But what other choices do I really have?" he asked, desperation apparent in his deep grey eyes.

"Love her?" Kagura suggested, matter-of-factly. "I know you do. You've been happier, more talkative, even more confident since she's been here, haven't you? She's brought out a new light in you. I see it. I'm willing to let anything happen to me in order to distract Naraku if it means you two can be happy and he'll stay away from you for a bit longer."

Inuyasha's eyes saddened even more, "But, Kagura," he began.

She put up her free hand and hushed him, "That's my choice. I'm free to make my own choices…At least I'd like to think I am. One day I will be for real. For now, I'm going to do what I can. What I need from you is for you to not give up. If not for you then for me and even better yet, Kagome."

"What's come over you?" Inuyasha inquired.

"I've just realized that if I probably can't save myself, I'm going to at least help to save you. Or at least do my best to. I came upon this realization when what happened, well, happened. Naraku can have me but I refuse to let him to take you or even try to get his hands on Kagome," she replied, looking at him then staring off, out of the window. "I don't want him to hurt either of you, even if I just met Kagome not long ago…She's a sweet girl and she's been an improvement to your life."

Inuyasha was trying to think of something to say back to her but didn't know how to begin.

"You don't have to say anything. Like I've said before. One day I'll be free of Naraku. _Every_ woman has her breaking point," she spoke up again, knowing he was trying to find the words to respond.

"Okay…" Inuyasha said back. If Kagura wasn't going to give up on him and Kagome or even herself, then why should he? He refused to let her down. He'd be damned if Naraku would lay a finger on Kagome. He sighed softly, wishing he could protect Kagura as well, hating himself for being unable just a few hours before. Sure he'd be damned before he would let the villain near his girlfriend but what would happen if he actually tried to stop him?

His anger swelled towards Naraku. He hated the bastard with a passion he had never felt before, but shook it away. He couldn't go taking his temper out on the man that could ultimately decide if he, Kagome, and even Kagura lived.

Near half an hour passed while he and Kagura chatted about his relationship with Kagome. An idea soon sparked in his head and his eyes widened, "Kagura. You're right. I do feel that way about her and…I need to go get something to prove it. Will you be okay here by yourself?" he asked.

"I'll be fine…but I'm actually going to go back to Naraku's. In case he gets back. I don't want him having an excuse to come over here," she said.

"Oh…" he replied quietly, his eyes downcast.

"It's okay. Don't worry about me, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," she smiled, patting him on the shoulder and then standing up.

Before Inuyasha could respond she was gone.

His brow grew concentrated, a new determination lighting inside of him. He jumped up off of the couch and headed to his bedroom to change and then head out; he had one stop to make before picking Kagome up from her mother's house.

This one stop would be a new promising road for the two of them, it could bring them both a bit of happiness. Or so he hoped…

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><p><strong>Alright well…the ending to this chapter might have sucked and I'm sorry? DX ….No shanking? Yay! ^_^ *SHOT* DDDX DAMMIT<strong>

**Okay well I look forward to reading some reviews and knowing if you all enjoyed the chapter! Let me know! Thanks for reading!**

**The next update should be next week.**

**ALSO PLEASE NOTE: **The **poll** will also be **open until this Saturday so if you haven't voted and would like to please do so now! ^_^**


	33. Chapter 33

**PLEASE READ THE NOTES BEFORE READING THE CHAPTER. THANK YOU. ^_^**

**FIRST:**** I do ****NOT**** know when Midnight Snack will be updated**. You'd have to **talk to Purduepup **about it. **I ****ONLY**** write the sex**. Really, if I knew I'd let you know. You guys are pretty dedicated though I'll give you that… *Face of disapproval*

**SECOND:**Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciate it. ^_^

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><p><strong>THIRD:<strong>** POLL RESULTS **ARE IN**! ***Drumroll* Long story short **It was pretty damn close. **It was **practically a** **3-WAY TIE. **So I'll just **ADD IN TIDBITS** of Kagura's past as the story goes on **through her dialogue**.

**FOURTH**: That's basically it…READ, ENJOY AND REVIEW ^_^

**Disclaimer: FUCKING HELL. **I don't own the series…Just the fanfics I write for it.

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 33~<strong>_

Kagome waved a goodbye to her newly reconciled friends and let out a large sigh of relief.

The rest of the day had gone by smoothly, despite still receiving questions about the confrontation at lunch and receiving the cold shoulder from the majority of her past group. But, the teen did her best to politely respond before asking everyone to drop the subject and to her surprise, many had even apologized for what they had said and how they had treated her and Inuyasha both.

'_It's amazing and…weird,'_ she thought to herself as she sat back on the bus home, waiting for her stop. She hadn't realized how quickly a majority of the students at her school would change their sides and opinions just based on who said what. It was actually pretty sad at the way high school drama could start up, carry on and then end abruptly.

She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts; the ordeal was over now and hopefully everyone knew the truth.

As she reached her stop and stepped off of the bus, she looked around. She sighed, _'Nothing ever changes around here…'_ she silently commented about her neighborhood. She had seen change happen around her school, with Inuyasha, her friends, and with herself. It felt strange that this area would remain the same. It was, in fact, boring in an odd way. But it was fairly nice to have at least some familiar territory.

She walked down to her house and was happy to be home. She'd be able to eat, shower, and maybe take a quick nap before she called Inuyasha to pick her up. In the middle of her thoughts, she noticed the car in the driveway and knew her mother was home. For her mother to be home right now meant that she wanted to talk and the teen couldn't say that it was unwarranted.

As she stepped inside she immediately spotted her mother sitting on the sofa watching the television. "Hey mom," Kagome quietly greeted, shutting the door behind herself.

The teen moved over to sit beside her mother, turning towards her a bit.

"Hello, Kagome," her guardian cheerfully replied, before seeing the look on her daughter's face. She hurriedly turned off the TV and looked at her, "What's wrong?" she inquired, concerned about what could be going on in Kagome's mind.

"I know you want to talk and so do I. We haven't always been seeing eye to eye these past few months and I just, I want to clear up anything you still have questions about," Kagome explained, setting her messenger bag down on the floor and pulling her feet up onto the couch.

"Is this going to be about Inuyasha?" her mother asked, reluctantly, not particularly wanting to tread in the waters of that topic. She had actually just come home early from work rather than stay late as she usually did.

"It depends. Is he who you want to talk about?" Kagome retorted, her eyes unwavering from her mother's face.

"Well, I won't deny that the two of you haven't been on my mind. You've been over there a lot, more so there than here in recent months. I don't know if he's purposely trying to keep you away or—"

"Mom, that's not it at all. I'm more than sure he'd love to get away from his place, but it doesn't feel like he's welcome here at our house. I don't want you criticizing him over every little thing, you know?" the teen let out, her eyes focusing more on her mother's reaction.

The older woman's eyes widened slightly, "I told you I was…tolerant of your relationship with him."

"Tolerant, just says 'I'm not happy about it, but I won't have him arrested,'" Kagome responded, trying to get her mother to understand where she was coming from.

"I suppose…I just don't know who he is, or what kind of person he is," the elder replied, picking up her mug of coffee from the table, sipping it to calm her nerves.

"It's not like you've given much of an effort to get to know him though either," Kagome bluntly commented, though bit her lip, not meaning for her statement to come out in such a snappy way.

"…I know. I apologize if that's made you feel bad. But, the boy comes from a different place than we do—"

"So that means you can't get to know him? Mom, he's a nice person. He's understanding, patient, a little quiet at times, but he's a good guy. He's not a bad influence or anything that you may think, if anything I might be the bad influence on him. Sure his side of town isn't perfect, but neither is ours," Kagome tried to defend.

"I'm not saying that he's going to turn you evil, but you have to understand how much of a struggle this is," her mother began.

"Yeah, I know, where you're from you don't associate seem to associate with anyone who doesn't come from some source of money," Kagome started, "Inuyasha means a lot to me. I really care about him and he really cares about me. I want you two to be able to actually meet and get along. Do you think that you can do that? For me? As my mother, please, do that favor for me," the teen pleaded. She wanted Inuyasha to be a part of her full life, not just parts of it.

Her mother took a deep breath, "It's not that he's not from money it's that you're my only child. I just want your safety but I can try and like him. I want your safety but I also want you to be happy, Kagome," she said with a small smile.

"I am happy. But this will make me even happier," the younger brunette replied.

"Okay. One last thing, Kagome…this is a bit difficult for me to ask, but…" her mother paused, her eyes glued on the mug in her hands.

"What is it, mom?" Kagome asked, her brows knitting together.

"Well, it's been awhile and you have been spending a lot of time together…Have you two been…_intimate?_" the older woman asked, whispering the last word as if it were forbidden to say it aloud.

Kagome's eyes widened and her face went red. This was for sure a catch-22, she could tell the truth and face the consequences or she could lie. She quickly thought, _'By intimate…she probably only means 'actual' sex.'_

"No, mom. We haven't been," Kagome responded after a few short seconds.

"Okay, well, I hope you're telling the truth. You can tell me. I don't want you feeling pressure to—"

"Mom…please don't. Trust me he's not pressuring anything. If anything I'm probably the one who's p—"

"I don't…want to talk about that much after all. I'm just happy nothing has happened yet," she nervously smiled before standing and quickly retreating to the kitchen, not wanting her daughter to finish whatever sentence she was about to.

"Alright then," Kagome said, quickly and happily dropping _that_ particular topic. She stood up and felt her phone buzz in her jeans' pocket. She pulled it out and saw it was a message from Inuyasha. It quickly brought a smile to her face.

'_Are you at home?'_ his message read.

She replied, _'Yep. Are you outside?'_

Within seconds his response came back, _'Yeah. I have something for you.'_

The teen quickly grew excited, forgetting about her earlier plans to relax. Her mind was now wondering what he could have had waiting for her. "Hey mom, Inuyasha's outside waiting. I'm going to go with him, that okay?"

Her mother looked back at her and nodded, "Yeah, that's fine. See you later."

Kagome smiled, grabbed her messenger bag and rushed out the door to meet her boyfriend.

She saw the familiar car waiting on the street and she hurried over, seeing him step out of the car to meet her. Kagome's face lit up even more as she draped her arms over his shoulders and pulled him into a kiss.

His eyes widened a bit at her eagerness, sensing she was in an even better mood. He closed his lids, wrapping his arms around her waist, and returned the embrace. He felt the tip of her tongue sweep over his lower lip and he smirked, giving in to what she was silently asking for.

Their tongues met for a brief moment before he moved away and opened the passenger side door. "There will be plenty of time for that, just get in. We're going to the park," he smiled.

She raised an eyebrow but slid into the car, "Alright then, so why are we going over there?" she asked, her excitement growing, "Is my surprise over there?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out, I guess," he grinned, shutting the door and moving around the car to get to the driver's side.

As he pulled away from her house he felt her hand grab his. He smiled a bit more, feeling even more nervous than before. "What's gotten into you? I take it everything went fine today at school?"

She nodded, "Yep. I found out who spread the rumors and I handled it," she shrugged.

He looked at her as they reached a red light, "Are you okay?" the look on his face serious, his hand squeezing hers lightly.

"I'm fine, Yasha," she sighed, "It was Musou; he was angry that I told some people his secrets _months_ ago when they were all talking about you. Needless to say I kneed him in the balls and he confessed to lying."

"Ouch…Well, as long as you're okay," he said, bringing the back of her hand up to his lips and placing a chaste kiss.

"I also had some chats with Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka…as well as my mother," she added, turning her attention to him, smiling at the small show of affection.

"Oh…and how did that go?" he asked worriedly, but keeping his eyes on the road as the light changed again.

"It went fine, we're friends and my mother wants to try harder to get to know you. So are you willing to give her a chance?"

He nodded, "Of course, anything."

"Alright, thank you. Oh, and the girls want to come over probably tomorrow and I want you to be there too, if you want to that is…" she trailed off, unsure of how he'd feel about being around them.

"I guess…That's fine, yeah," he said with hesitancy in his voice.

They pulled over, across the street from the park, and Kagome turned to him. "I don't want you to feel like you have to, really. They want to try and get to know you better and to say sorry," she explained.

He looked at the steering wheel and nodded, "That's fine then. I'll be there, don't worry," he smiled, leaning over and kissing her once. "Now, let's go to the pond."

They both got out and headed across the street to the park, walking hand in hand and with Kagome's head was lightly against his shoulder.

As the pair reached the pond and sat down, Kagome turned towards him and raised her eyebrows, "Okay, so present?" she asked, giddy with anticipation.

"Calm down, Kags," he smirked, amused. "Do you even know what the present is for?"

She pursed her lips in thought and shook her head, "Come to think of it…no I don't. Our six month _'anniversary' _you could say, isn't until next week and my birthday isn't until a month after that. Then your birthday is a month and a half after mine…"

"Why would _I_ give _you_ a present on _my_ birthday?" he laughed, pulling her closer to him.

She giggled softly and shrugged, "I don't know. I really don't know where my mind was headed with that one. I think I was just naming off things."

He looked at her and tipped his head a bit, "How do you feel about me and our relationship?" he asked softly, one of his hands still in hers.

"Well, I don't really know how to explain how I feel, Inuyasha. I mean…I really care about you. We've been together for six months and you've pretty much managed to change me and have shown me new things. In a good way, of course," she smiled, pressing her lips to his. "Why?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

"How much, is _'really care'_?" he questioned further, only halfway kissing her back, not willing to be distracted.

Her cheeks heated up and her eyes glanced to the side, watching the water from the pond ripple because of the small breeze that fluttered through. She looked back at him, "I guess me saying I really care about you is another way of me to say that I," her voice faltered, "I've fallen in love with you," she nervously said. Her voice began cracking. "It's a bit scary to be honest…"

Curse her teenage girl emotions.

She watched as a smile crossed his lips and his eyes move down as he reached into his pocket, letting go of her hands.

She felt her heart begin to waver, not knowing what was going on, she had just confessed something she had never confessed to anyone before and he wasn't giving her a true response other than a small smile.

"Kagome…The gift I got for you was this," he quietly said, pulling out a small ring box, opening it.

Her eyes widened and her breath was stolen. There in the box sat a beautiful white gold ring, fitted with her aquamarine birthstone in the center and three diamonds forming a frame around it on each side. The late afternoon sun made the gem sparkle even more, causing its beauty to intensify.

"Inuyasha…its amazing," she said softly, her face showing her complete shock. "But what is…"

"I got the ring cause I want it to be a reminder for you to always know how I feel about you, because it's hard for me to say exactly what I feel for you," he explained. "Don't worry I'm not proposing…It's more of a promise ring."

"Do you think you can you say it? Just this once? How exactly do you feel about me?" she asked feeling the excitement build inside of her, knowing deep down what he was trying to get at, especially with the ring he was presenting before her. She just had to hear it for herself. It was every girl's dream scenario. What they all wanted.

"I knew you'd ask that…which is why I brought something I wrote for you a couple of weeks back. I didn't know when I could read it to you, but I think now would be good. So can I read that instead?" he asked, looking at her, his features revealing his complete vulnerability.

She nodded her head, "Yeah, of course," she smiled, feeling her stomach twist into knots.

"First though, I need your hand," he said quietly, lightly grasping her right hand and sliding the jewel onto her ring finger.

"Perfect fit," she remarked, kissing him deeply. "I love it. Now…" she trailed off, biting her lower lip. Her eyes glued to the promise ring on her hand before trailing back up to meet his eyes.

He kissed back and nodded, getting the neatly folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "I feel so many things about you…This can't do it justice but, I'll do my best," he began, looking at the paper.

"You can make any one of my bad days go away. You make me laugh even when I feel like a pile of shit. You make me smile like no one else in the world can. Even your presence alone can brighten up the room and the sound of your voice could keep my attention for days on end…well, some days," he laughed, receiving one from her in return.

He continued on, "The look in your eyes whether we're alone or with other people is enough to make my heart and my stomach twist in to one big mess. The feel of your fingers when they are so tenderly intertwined in mine, or just the simple touch of your lips to my own makes my heart beat with such a fury I think it's going to pop out of my chest that very instant. You're stunningly beautiful, brilliant, generous, annoying, talkative, funny, and the nicest person I've ever met."

His eyes moved back up to her face, smiling softly, hoping she knew what he was trying to get at.

Kagome felt her eyes sting with unshed tears, she felt the happiest she had ever felt before, even if it was sappy, even if he had insulted her a few times in the note, even if it seemed like something right out of your everyday teenage romance tale; her heart was swelling. Her mind was swirling with too many thoughts and emotions to fathom.

"Well, compared to that," she choked out with a laugh, a few tears falling down off her cheeks, "What I'm about to say is _really_ cliché…But I love you too, Inuyasha," she said, more tears of joy rolling free. She kissing him again deeply. She smiled, feeling his fingers brush the tears away from her cheeks before his arms wrapped around her body and pulled her closer.

Both of their hearts were beating so harshly they could feel the pulses from their chests being pressed together and Inuyasha couldn't help but notice that they were beating in unison.

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><p><strong>ALRIGHT SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY STUFF THERE! *SHANKED*<strong>

**DAMMIT! ;A; I'm sorry it was so…yeah. I'm not really used to writing **_**such**_** sappy stuff. I don't think…Maybe so. I know I've written it but it doesn't always feel right because it is WAY too easy to cross the thin line into stupid/cliché and boring romance.**

**But hopefully I didn't do that. ^_^ Anyway I hope you all review and let me know what you think!**

**(Sorry this is late. I had my college orientation to do and some other stuff to take care of.)**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hello! Thank you all for reviewing the last chapter! ^_^ Uhm...I don't have much to say right now other than my stomach hurts and this chapter is sort of dedicated as to why. (Probably TMI but whatever! It's likely that not many of you even read this part haha. But anywho~ If you did thanks for reviewing and reading last chapter!)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DID NOT, DO NOT, AND WILL NOT EVER OWN INUYASHA.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 34~<strong>_

Inuyasha sat back in the driver's seat, waiting for Kagome to come out of her house so he could take her to school.

He smiled and thought about yesterday; it was a turning point in their relationship. _'Heh…who knew,'_ he wondered to himself. All the doubts he had once had about their relationship, about her, about himself. None of it mattered to him in that moment. The moment she said the three simple words, _'I love you.'_

He sighed happily, content with how things were finally going.

_Tap. Tap._

The sudden noise caused him to jump in his seat. He looked towards the sound and saw Kagome standing on the other side of the window, laughing at his reaction. "Unlock the door!" she called out, traveling back around to the passenger side of the car.

He quickly pressed the lock, letting her in and smiled at her.

"I tried opening the door then saw that you were spaced out. Are you okay?" she asked, still chuckling softly to herself for causing him to jump.

His chrome-colored eyes settled on her face, taking in her form. He admired how her chestnut colored hair framed her face lightly, the waves falling delicately on her shoulders. Her chocolate colored eyes, bright with excitement—

"Inuyasha?" she inquired again, raising an eyebrow at him. She leaned over and kissed him gently, "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. You just look really pretty," he shrugged, trying to not sound so sappy. "Not that you don't always look pretty! You just…I dunno." What the hell was wrong with him? They had been dating for a long time and he chose _now_ to sound like a lovesick little boy?

With another giggle, Kagome looked down at her jeans and simple black t-shirt and smiled, "Well…it's not my best look, but thank you. You know you didn't have to come all this way to get me. I could have taken the bus," she added on, watching her house disappear behind them as he pulled off.

"It's not problem. I wanted to…I can do it everyday if you want me to," he suggested, hoping she'd say yes to his offer.

Kagome smiled, nodding, "Maybe. We'll see. But thank you for coming all this way," she quickly said, appreciating it.

"Anytime…"

"Why are you so quiet?" she asked, curious to know why his behavior was so off-hilter.

"I'm always quiet," he smirked a bit.

"Well not like this," she replied, poking his shoulder absentmindedly.

"I'm just thinking, that's all," he defended, glancing her way for a short second.

"About what?" she grinned, purposely being nosy.

"If you _must_ know…I'm thinking about what to get you for your birthday," he said, keeping his eyes forward.

"Yash, really, you don't have to get me anything. I mean, you just got me this _gorgeous_ ring," she trailed off, biting her lower lip, trying to hold in a girlish smile and looking down at her hand. "I don't need anything else."

"Your birthday isn't for another month. This ring doesn't count," he quickly retorted.

"Well it does for me," she tried to reason.

"Well, that's too bad then, now isn't it?" he smirked more, bringing the car to a stop once they had reached the school.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, and laughed a bit, "Fine…but nothing too big, okay? Promise?"

"No promises," he grinned and leaned over kissing her deeply.

Kagome returned the embrace, sliding her arms over his shoulders. "I'll see you after school…remember the girls want to hang out," she trailed off, kissing him again after the short pause to talk. "I can't wait until your suspension is lifted…"

He only nodded, gently moving his lips away from hers and trailing them down her neck, "Me either. I'll see you later…"

"I love you," she said, pulling back and looking him in the eyes.

Inuyasha looked back at her and smiled, "Love you too," he replied in a soft tone, enough for her to hear.

Kagome grinned practically from ear to ear. She never thought she'd be able to get used to hearing those words come out of his mouth. After a few more drawn out kisses, she finally got out of the car and made her way up the steps and out of his sight.

The teen male huffed, and drove off, heading back to his side of town until it was time to pick her up again.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Lunch came around faster than expected for Kagome. She hadn't seen her newly rekindled friends yet and was feeling oddly anxious to officially meet up with them again.

She spotted them sitting at a lunch table that was off to the side in the shade and headed over to join them as they flagged her down.

"Hey Kago—" Eri started to say before her eyes zoomed in quickly onto Kagome's right hand. Specifically her ring finger. "Oh my goodness…"

"What is it?" Ayumi and Yuka questioned in unison.

"A ring!" Eri squealed in excitement.

'_Oh jeez…'_ Kagome thought in dread, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to experience. The moment her backside touched the bench, the questions began.

"He proposed?"

"Is it a promise ring?"

"Maybe it's an abstinence ring…"

"How much did it cost?"

"Where did it come from?"

"Is it an anniversary gift?"

"Would you guys slow down?" Kagome exasperatedly pleaded. Her mind could only handle a couple of questions at a time, and at the rate her friends were going, she'd for sure have a brain malfunction. "No, he didn't propose…It's sort of a promise ring I guess and a anniversary thing though not really..."

"Aw!" the girls all let out in a giddy squeak.

"Here we go…" Kagome mumbled to herself quietly.

"How long has it been?" Ayumi asked curiously.

"Six months in five days," Kagome replied, taking a bite of her pizza, smiling at the thought. "But like I said it's not really like an anniversary. We're only halfway there."

"Wow. Doesn't seem like it. So does this mean that you guys said the big 'L' word?" Yuka quickly chimed in.

Kagome couldn't help but blush and smile, giving away the answer.

The girls squealed again.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at them; they were like raving fan girls.

"So what's he like?" Ayumi asked, curious to know who Inuyasha really was. "I know we'll find out later, but we want to get a good picture now."

"He's really sweet. He can be a bit stand offish and quiet, but once you get to know him he's a smart ass but he makes me laugh and he's caring," Kagome shrugged lightly, looking up at her friends.

"Wow, sounds like a rare catch already. Can he cook?" Ayumi prodded.

"From what I've experienced, yeah he can. Very well in fact. He can draw and he can write. It's pretty amazing…" Kagome trailed off, noticing Yuka and Eri pick up her hand and examine the ring sitting on her finger.

"This is so pretty, where did you guys pick it up?" one of them probed.

"It was a surprise…I wasn't expecting a ring," Kagome honestly admitted. "He just picked me up and took me to the park and gave it to me."

"So, he's chivalrous, caring, makes you laugh, gives you surprises, _and_ isn't a douche? Where can I find one of those?" Eri asked with a laugh.

Kagome smiled a bit and tugged her hand away from her friends as they began fogging up her jewel. "So you guys still do want to meet him later, right? To get to know him better?" Kagome questioned.

"Yeah of course. Don't forget, apologize. We want to apologize too," Yuka added.

"Sounds good. Just come to my house later, maybe around five, alright?" Kagome suggested.

The other three teens agreed before continuing to bombard Kagome with questions about Inuyasha, as if nothing had ever changed between them.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Once Kagome got home, she dropped her bag by the door and immediately turned towards Inuyasha, kissing him deeply. Her tongue slyly slipping into his mouth. She wanted to finally get some more alone time with him before her friends got there.

He smirked and kissed her back. "Why…so…excited?" he managed to ask between kisses.

"I dunno, I'm just happy that you're okay with them coming over and more than likely bugging you with questions I've already answered," Kagome smiled.

"I told you it's no problem," he shrugged, taking her hand and trying to lead her over to the couch.

"Oh! Wait," Kagome said, her eyes widening, turning away and opening her messenger bag, pulling out a dark item. "Close your eyes," she demanded spiritedly.

"But then I won't be able to see what's behind your back," he grinned.

"Exactly," she replied, "Now close 'em," she urged again.

Inuyasha dramatically sighed, playfully, complying with her demands and holding out his hands. He felt a light object be placed in his hands and he opened his eyes again, looking down at a thick notebook with a dark black leather cover on it.

"Wow, Kagome, thank you. How did you know I needed a new notebook?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I might have peeked at the last few pages in your old one," she smiled, hugging him, her arms wrapping tightly around his torso.

"You are so nosy," he said sarcastically, a smirk on his lips and hugged her back, "Well thank you. It sure beats college ruled."

"I figured you'd like it. I picked it up at a shop down the street before you came to pick me up," she said, tipping her head up, meeting his lips for a quick kiss that slowly turned into a deeper one. "It's no ring but…"

Inuyasha shushed her with another kiss, "I love it." He lightly led them back over towards the couch, sitting them down. He placed the journal on the coffee table and immediately ran his fingers into Kagome's soft tresses.

One of her hands roamed over the front of his shirt, tugging lightly at it, moving it up just enough for her to slip her free one to slip underneath. Her nails carefully grazed over his skin before she pressed her hand flat against him, pushing him lightly down onto the couch.

Inuyasha looked up at her in confusion, only to catch on a few seconds later as her lips trailed over his exposed stomach.

Kagome flicked her tongue over his skin, glancing up at him with a soft smile, "I just thought we could do something before they get here since we haven't in awhile." A soft blush moved over her cheeks once the words left her mouth and she quickly looked down, her fingers undoing the front of his jeans.

Inuyasha moaned softly, reveling in the feel of her lips moving across the outside of his boxers, sending a subtle sensation to his shaft. "Uh…Okay," he replied nervously.

She lifted her head, hearing the hesitation in his voice, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just wasn't expecting this…" he trailed off, looking down at her. "Don't think we _have_ to do anything okay?"

"I don't. I want to," she whispered, tipping her head back down, moving his boxers out of the way and licking her lips. She then lapped her tongue over the tip of his length, receiving a soft groan from his lips.

Inuyasha moaned again, tipping his head back as he removed his shirt at the same time. "Fuck…" he panted out, nearly melting at her touch.

Kagome dipped her head down, taking half of his shaft into her mouth, her fingers stroking along the part of his shaft that was left exposed. "Feel good?" she asked, a small-smirk gracing her lips before moving back down along his length.

"Yeah…," he laughed once, closing his eyes.

Kagome grinned and repeated her actions. Her tongue rolling softly along the underside of his manhood as he began growing harder in her mouth. She felt herself start to become more aroused along with him.

Her other hand moved up along his chest, raking her nails softly over his taut muscles. She let out a soft hum, sending subtle vibrations along his cock, causing him to shudder slightly from the pleasure.

"Kagome that—"

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Both of their hearts about exploded.

Kagome looked up with wide eyes and checked the clock on her phone. _4:30PM _"Of course they'd choose now to show up early…" she muttered.

Inuyasha quickly tucked himself back in his pants, zipping back up, and threw on his shirt again. He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at his front in worry, hoping they wouldn't be able to tell he was aroused. Though, it was quickly subsiding.

"One second!" Kagome shouted at the door, fixing her hair as well, licking her lips once and double checking making sure Inuyasha was presentable.

"Well…this shouldn't be awkward," he laughed nervously.

"Oh yeah," Kagome agreed, opening the door to three excited faces. "Hey guys!" she excitedly greeted, exchanging hugs with them. "Come on in."

As the three guests walked in, Inuyasha grabbed up the new notebook Kagome had gotten for him and took a pen out of his pocket, making himself comfortable on the couch. "Hey…" he began, looking from face to face, "You're Yuka…Eri…and Ayumi."

The three nodded and smiled, "At least you know our names."

"Well it's hard to _not _know your names. Besides Kagome gave me a briefing before hand to make sure," he shrugged, looking down at the new notebook he was holding.

'_More like a de-briefing,'_ she joked in her head, almost laughing aloud at the bad pun. Instead, she shut the door and walked into the kitchen to get snacks and such for her friends.

"Well…I think I'll take on the pink elephant in the room," Eri said with a nervous laugh, looking at Inuyasha. "We're sorry."

"Like, really, _really_ sorry. We shouldn't have judged you before knowing you. I mean…you're so quiet, Kagome makes you sound like a nice and talented guy…we were wrong," Yuka added in.

Ayumi nodded, "Yeah…and I'm really sorry too. I don't know why, but I never stopped to think about who you really are."

"No, you shouldn't have judged me. You have no clue about the kind of person I am. A few words stung and it sucked, especially when it made me feel like I had caused Kagome more trouble than what I'm worth," he started, not looking up at them, his eyes firmly locked onto what he was doing in the notebook.

The girls looked down at the floor, not surprised he didn't forgive them and not blaming him for doing so.

"But it's alright. People say and do stupid things. So I forgive you, because I'd rather forgive and forget in this case than continue having awkward silences," he laughed once, glancing up at them and watching the relief wash over their faces.

"We're so happy to know you don't hate us!" Eri cheered.

"I never said that," he replied, no hint of humor on his expression.

The girls grew quiet again, their eyes wide.

Inuyasha smirked and shook his head, "I was giving you shit. I don't hate you."

They each nearly had a heart attack. "Okay…we deserved that," Ayumi nervously laughed.

"Yes you did," Kagome smiled, coming out of the kitchen, having heard every word exchanged. She set down a large tray of drinks, chips, and candy before taking a seat on the floor by her re-kindled friends.

As the girls chatted away, Inuyasha scribbled in the notebook, making small doodles and trying to come up with new poems.

He spaced out entirely from their conversation, not caring enough to listen in, only giving an occasional "Mhm." Thankfully the girls were too preoccupied chit-chatting with Kagome to interrogate him as he had feared. The teen stretched out on the couch, and stared up at the ceiling letting out a quiet sigh.

"Are we boring you, Yash?" Kagome asked, turning towards him and nudging him slightly to take him out of his trance.

"Yeah, very much so," he smirked, glancing down at her.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, "Well you could join in."

"Keep doing that and it'll get stuck that way," he teased. His eyes moved up to the girls who looked like they were about to explode from holding in squeals. "No, I'm fine. You girls continue."

"If you say so," Kagome shrugged, turning back around to her friends.

Inuyasha sighed softly and turned over on the couch just as a question came his way.

"Hey, Inuyasha, when's your birthday?"

"June…"

"That's two and a half months away, so not far. How old will you be eighteen? Nineteen?" Yuka asked, munching on a few cookies.

"No…I'll actually be twenty," he mumbled.

"Whoa, didn't know that. Well, what are you doing for your birthday?" Ayumi asked curiously.

"Nothing," he shrugged, glancing back over his shoulder.

Kagome shot him a look, "He's doing something. He has to this year," she smiled a bit.

He only laughed softly and turned back over to face them again, "I'm not one for parties…"

"Oh it doesn't have to be a party. It can be a little get together or something," one of the girls suggested.

"No thanks," he insisted, shaking his head.

The girls shrugged and moved on, switching the topic to not go back and forth with the stubborn male.

"Ugh…I'm having cramps really bad right now," one of them mentioned.

The others joined in:

"Oh I know! I don't want mine to come yet. But it should in like a week…The pill messed up my schedule though when I came off it."

"I'm still on the pill so mine isn't for awhile," another said.

Kagome only laughed and shook her head, "I'm done with mine—"

"I'm…gonna go upstairs," Inuyasha said softly, sitting up. "I mean, your conversation is _very_ enlightening and all but…I'm all lightened out," he laughed once and stood up with the notebook in his hands and got up from the couch.

Kagome giggled softly and stood up, following him to the stairs, "I'm sorry, Yash. We can change the subject," she suggested.

"No, no, I'm fine. You go back and have fun talking about, uh, monthly gifts."

"I'm sorry," she laughed once. "My room is the first one on the left, the one to the right is my mom's and the one past hers is the guest bedroom. I can come up and make sure you're okay and all that if you want," she said, looking up at him.

"Alright. I'll be fine. I promise. Just go and have fun," he smiled, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her forehead only to hear a group of "Awws" come from several feet away. Inuyasha's cheeks turned slightly red before returning to his normal color and he retreated up the stairs and into Kagome's bedroom.

Kagome turned around to her friends, her eyes wide, "What is wrong with you three?" she shouted, a smile on her face.

The girls shrugged and patted the spot on the floor next to them.

'_Nothing has really changed,'_ Kagome mused to herself as she sat down and the prepped herself for the _real_ questions her friends were going to ask now that they were alone.

"Is he good in bed?"

Kagome blanched.

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><p><strong>And that's the end of that chapter! ^_^ I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know in a review!<strong>

**I hope the chapter wasn't a bust! Hey I think this is the first time I'm not going to get shanked during this story! :D Yay! *Waits for it* … Nothing? Really? Okay then.**

**The next update might not be up until the week after next, depends on how fast I can write. It might be a short chapter though. But hopefully it'll be worth the wait? Maybe?**

***SHANKED***


	35. Chapter 35

Okay first off I just **want to apologize for this chapter being up so late *Shanked***

I'm sorry! But I did put **two chapters together for this one** because the **original **would have been **too short.** So this **chapter is fairly long **at least! Oh and thanks to all of you who reviewed! ^_^

I hope you enjoy this chapter (despite its lateness) and leave a review letting me know what you think! ^_^

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 35~<strong>_

Inuyasha had safely retreated to Kagome's bedroom; successfully avoiding the teen girls' talk of "that time of the month." He let out a soft sigh of relief and glanced around the room he was in.

He closed the door behind himself and began to smirk a bit, noticing the very light pink coloring of her walls.

'_When was the last time this woman decorated? Middle school?'_ he mused to himself, only quietly kidding.

It was a strange feeling for him to be in her bedroom; it was the first time he had ever made it past her living room in their entire six month relationship. He walked around the bedroom, his eyes filled with curiosity. He didn't want to pry into her things; he was just treading new territory.

His attention was drawn to the study desk that was neatly arranged against the wall and with a turn of one's head, it'd give a nice view out of her window. Atop the desk were two picture frames; one was of a very young looking Kagome, obviously a school photo of some sort, and she was missing one of her front teeth.

Inuyasha laughed once, making a mental note to tease her about it later and his eyes shifted over to the picture frame next to it. This one was different; it had a man leaning against what looked like Mrs. Higurashi's car, smiling. He'd never seen him before and furrowed his brows.

He picked up the frame and turned it over, noticing small words etched at the bottom in a neat script: _Dad, two days before the accident._

His eyebrows rose when it finally clicked in his head that the man in the photo was Kagome's father. She had told him about the car accident but not much else. He sighed softly and set the frame back down in its original position.

He thought back to his own father's death and how it affected him. Did Kagome's father's death have the same effect on her?

'_Maybe not…she's a lot cheerier than I am. She probably just handles it better,'_ he reasoned within himself.

Inuyasha turned towards Kagome's bed and decided to lay down, feeling tired and not having much else to do. It didn't take long for him to drift off.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Kagome's color returned after a stunned few seconds. Her friends just didn't hold back with the questions. "What do you mean 'how is he in bed?'" she finally managed to get out.

"Uh…exactly that," Yuka responded in a matter-of-fact manner. "How is he?"

"I don't know…" Kagome replied a little quietly, feeling her cheeks start to heat up, but doing her best to keep a poker face.

"You guys haven't done it yet?" Ayumi asked, giggling as a grin appeared across her face and she took a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"Not really, no. I mean…I bought condoms awhile ago for whenever we do, _do it_ but…it just hasn't happened yet," Kagome explained, looking down at her snacks, wondering what other questions would go her way.

"Well do you want to?" one of her friends asked.

"Yeah I do…well, I mean when the time is right? It's only been six months after all," the teen in question replied.

"Kagome, people do it after two days," Ayumi chimed back in.

"That's great for them, but it doesn't mean Inuyasha and I have to…we've had our few moments but nothing quite that far," Kagome explained.

"Guys stop trying to pressure her," Eri spoke up from munching on some cookies.

"They aren't pressuring me. Trust me. He and I have _briefly_ talked about it. He's hesitant and I can't say that I'm not nervous at the thought either. But let's change the subject in case he comes back down, alright?" the teen asked, more so to get her friends' minds off her sex life before they asked more questions.

Kagome did smile to herself, though. She _was_ nervous with the idea of having sex for the first time, but she was excited at the same time especially if it was to be had with Inuyasha. They had already done other things that were a first, but when would the time come for them to take that next big step?

The teens continued chatting for a few hours, exchanging questions about what had been new in their lives, what Inuyasha's side of town was like, what his apartment was like, and how Kagome's mother had been acting towards the idea that Kagome was in a serious relationship.

"She's gotten a little bit better, I suppose. I don't know. She seems like she's at least trying, which is better than nothing," Kagome said.

"Well that's good; I mean at least she's not_**—**_"

Speak of the devil.

They heard the front door open and saw Kagome's mother walk in.

"Sorry I was gone for longer. I ended up doing more overtime," the older woman in the room said before turning and seeing her daughter and the friends that hadn't been in her home in months. "Oh! Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka…What a surprise to see you girls here! It's been awhile, are you girls having fun?" she smiled.

She didn't ask whether or not the feud Kagome had told her about a long time ago was over, to both avoid the topic for the sake of not making anything awkward and because it seemed obvious that it was.

"It's good to see you too, Ms. Higurashi!" the girls said in almost perfect unison.

"Hey, mom," Kagome said, standing up and giving her mother a hug.

"Hello, dear," her mother replied with a smile, hugging her daughter back. "I'm tired, it's almost nine so I'm going to go upstairs and get ready for bed."

"Alright…Oh, Mom?" Kagome hesitated finishing her sentence.

"What is it?" her mom asked, looking back at her daughter before continuing up the stairs.

"Inuyasha's here…he's upstairs; probably in my room. It's okay if he spends the night right?"

"Oh...yeah. I suppose. Is he staying for breakfast too? I'll need to know so I know how much food to make in the morning," her mother smiled, trying to keep the uncertainty away in her tone.

Kagome sighed a breath of relief, though she knew her mother couldn't have been entirely okay with it. "Yeah I think he will. Thanks."

Her mother nodded and left the teens downstairs.

"Well that was nice of her!" Yuka spoke, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, that was easier than I expected it would be. You weren't kidding about her uneasiness when his name comes up though," Ayumi laughed a bit.

"I know, I'm glad she's not berating me over him anymore," Kagome replied.

Shortly after that, the visiting teens decided to leave to both get their homework done and to let Kagome be with Inuyasha.

Kagome cleaned her living room, making sure the mess she and her friends had made was gone and then headed upstairs. It was already nearing 11 o' clock and she wanted to lie down.

Before going to her room, she walked past it and poked her head into the guest bedroom, wondering if Inuyasha had decided to take that instead. She smiled when she saw the room was empty. She had been right, he took her room.

The teen turned and quickly hurried off to her own bedroom, quietly opening the door and shutting it behind herself and noticed her beau asleep on her bed. He looked more peaceful than usual, maybe it had to do with them being away from his place?

Kagome shrugged at the idea and crawled into her bed with him, moving over his sleeping frame and pressing a light kiss to his lips.

Inuyasha began to stir as Kagome deepened the kiss and slid his arms around her body. "Hey there…" he whispered softly.

"Hi," she giggled, "Did you have a good nap?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, did you have fun with your friends?" he responded, trying to keep his voice low.

"I did. I did. But they're gone now and my mom is home. But she's in her room. Don't worry, though, she knows that you're here," Kagome explained.

"Should I go talk to her?" the teen male inquired, feeling a little worried and unsure.

"She's probably sleep. You can talk to her in the morning," Kagome whispered back, capturing her beau's lips again with her own.

Inuyasha nodded slightly and ran his tongue along the subtle curve of Kagome's lower lip before slipping his tongue into her mouth. She let out a soft moan as she pressed her body closer to his and allowed their tongues to tease one another.

Before long, Kagome sat up, straddling Inuyasha's lap, and removed her shirt. She smiled at him and began tugging at the hem of his as well. "We never got to finish what we started earlier," she hinted with a hushed but wanting tone.

"Your mom is right across the hall though…" He was obviously hesitant to continue. After-all what if her mother were to bust in on them? That would for sure make for awkward conversation at the table in the morning (if she didn't have him arrested before then of course.)

"It'll be fine. I promise I'll be quiet," Kagome smirked, pushing his shirt up and running her fingers along his skin.

Before he could respond, the teen girl leaned back down; kissing the part of his chest that was exposed. Her lips trailed over his taut muscles as her hands reached down to the front of his jeans.

Inuyasha let out a soft moan and watched as Kagome moved further down his body, kissing and flicking her tongue over his abs. He looked down at her and caught her gaze and smirked slightly, nodding a bit. He swiftly removed his shirt the rest of the way and tossed it on to the floor.

Kagome continued down his body, tugging his jeans off of his hips along with his boxers.

His body began to heat up with anticipation and he slid his hands into her hair, lightly combing through the thick, silky tresses. He watched as the beautiful woman in front of him slowly ran her hand up along the underside of his shaft, stroking it at a teasing pace.

Kagome grinned devilishly, knowing how her motions were torturing her beau. She ran her lips up along the side of his hardening shaft, letting her tongue flick out to touch it every now and then. Her free hand made itself busy by undoing the buttons and zipper on her own jeans and slipping down into her panties.

She had remembered doing this to herself once before when she pleasured Inuyasha and remembered how good it felt to do both at the same time.

Her core began to ache more as she took the head of his shaft into her mouth; she swirled her tongue around it before kissing the tip while trying to hold in another grin when she saw the look on his face.

Inuyasha had begun to flush with want and very gently tried to guide Kagome's lips down further on to his cock. He let out a soft moan when she gave him what he wanted instead of just teasing him. He was on his own personal cloud-nine, reveling in the feeling of her tongue stroking along against his shaft.

She only added pleasure as she kept her hand moving along the parts of his shaft were still exposed and every few strokes dipping her hand down to brush over his balls and back up again.

"Kags…" Inuyasha whispered softly so that only Kagome could hear. He closed his eyes, enjoying every sensation that was coming to him. His hips began to rock towards her a little more causing her to take more of his shaft into her mouth.

Kagome closed her eyes again and tried to suppress a moan around his cock. Her fingers began to move against herself faster, rubbing across her clit with increasing speed. Her hips began to rock as well and she couldn't help but let Inuyasha know how she was feeling.

"I'm…getting…so horny," she huffed out as she pulled her mouth off of his shaft. She bit her lower lip from how corny it must have sounded to him. After-all she had never talked "dirty" to anyone more.

Kagome tried to distract from her words by taking his erection back into her mouth and sucking his faster.

Inuyasha couldn't gather the words to try and respond to her, his heart began to beat rapidly as he was beginning to approach his climax. His hands lightly tugged in Kagome's hair to try and signal her.

She took the hint as she felt his cock throb once, then twice against her tongue before his seed shot out into her mouth. Kagome quickly swallowed his release and continued to run her tongue along his manhood.

His muscles tensed as the apex hit; Inuyasha let out quiet, nearly inaudible groans with his orgasm and let Kagome carry on. His chest heaved up and down and he smirked. It felt exciting to do something as they were in Kagome's home.

Before she realized it, Inuyasha had her on her back, against her sheets and he was above her, bracing himself on his hands and knees. "It's your turn now, love," he huskily whispered.

He didn't waste any time removing her shirt or her jeans and panties. "You have to stay quiet…" he quietly commanded as he leaned down over her and kissed along the slope of Kagome's neck.

She nodded took in a soft shaky breath, trying to focus and calm her pulse. She didn't know how quiet she could actually stay. It wasn't like she was going to scream her head off, but could she old in a really good loud moan?

The feeling of his tongue tracing down over the tops of her breasts told her that it was going to be hard. She bit down on her lower lip, relishing in the sensation of his lips overtaking her exposed nipple as soon as he had her bra undone.

It was becoming more comfortable for the two of them to be this intimate with each other, even though they had only done this a few times on separate occasions.

'_I hope whenever we sleep together I'll be this confident,'_ Kagome thought to herself as she ran a hand into her beau's hair.

Inuyasha moved his hands over his girlfriend's body; one of them massaging her neglected breast as his mouth preoccupied the other and his opposite hand reaching down and helping to spread her legs, stroking the inside of one of her thighs.

"I love you," he said as he began to move lower on her body, kissing over the flat planes of her stomach.

"I love you too," she gasped back while feeling his fingertips move along her sides and his lips tracing over her body.

Inuyasha shifted down to get in a comfortable position. His hand grabbed Kagome's thighs and brought her closer to his face where he began to kiss her skin and flick his tongue out against her legs. He wanted to tease her just as she had teased him in the beginning.

His strong hands massaged along her smooth, creamy thighs as he finally ran his tongue over her lower lips and the precious pink bud that would bring her so much pleasure.

Kagome kept her legs draped over Inuyasha's shoulders and moved her fingers into his thick, onyx hair as her back arched, "Ah!" she moaned out loudly. Immediately after she opened her eyes wide and drew her bottom lip in to her mouth, to try and stay quiet.

Inuyasha's head popped up, him panting lightly with a small smile, "Shit, Kagome. Stay quiet!" he whispered, "I don't want to get caught," he continued.

Kagome only nodded and looked at him with flushed features and pushed his head back down towards her awaiting core with a smile on her face, "Don't stop though…"

He didn't have to be told twice, he kept his tongue moving against her slick folds, every so often glancing up to see the look of bliss on her face.

Inuyasha moved his hands up Kagome's torso, caressing every inch of her body before coming to her breasts and kneading them gently. His thumbs grazed over her perked nipples as his tongue hit her sensitive bud in varying patterns in unison.

Kagome didn't know what to expect next with the movements he was making. She could only close her eyes and keep her head tossed back against her pillows to try and hold back a loud moan. It was so hard; after all it felt so good! Her body was tingling, chills were moving down her spine. It could have been the added adrenaline rush that they could get caught or it could have been their intimacy only becoming stronger after having said 'I love you.'

Either way she was blissful.

The sound of her soft pleasure-filled whimpers and uneven breathing told him all he needed to know about how she was feeling then. He found himself wanting to push her further, to make it as hard for her to stay silent as he could. He smirked, and kept up his strokes.

The teen male lapped his tongue against her core; he made sure to use the most tantalizing strokes against her, as he moved from over her entrance to right under her clit. He couldn't get enough of her sweet essence. He continued to suck lightly on the pink jewel as her grip grew tighter in his hair.

"Inu…" Kagome panted quietly, her voice trailing off. She began to feel the familiar tight coil in her lower abdomen and her eyes closed tighter; she was about to climax.

The wave hit her and nearly bit down on her tongue trying to keep her moans from making it past her lips.

"Fuck…" she huffed out harshly, trying to regain her breath and focus her now-blurred vision. Her hips kept rocking against him for a few more long seconds before she stopped.

Inuyasha licked his lips and slowly moved back up Kagome's body. He kissed her stomach then her breasts and then her neck. "You did alright for staying quiet."

She could only look at him in a dazed, glossy-eyed way before she started to giggle softly.

Inuyasha laughed a bit, knowing that she had definitely enjoyed herself since she was giggling to herself. "You're so odd…"

"Plenty of people feel giddy after something like that. Because it feels so good and well…it makes them feel good, I dunno," she giggled some more before tipping her head up and pulling him into a long kiss.

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose for a second before he began kissing her back.

After several seconds, Kagome broke the kiss and slid from under her boyfriend, going over to her dresser to get in to some pajamas.

While she was busy getting redressed Inuyasha did the same. He pulled back the covers when she came back to the bed and hopped back in with him.

"Now we can sleep," she said with a smile, kissing her beau again.

Inuyasha returned the embrace, pulling her body close to his before breaking the kiss and agreeing.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Bright rays peeked through Kagome's bedroom curtain and hit her directly in the face. Her features scrunched and she turned over, burying her sleepy self into Inuyasha's shirt.

He looked down at her and laughed once, "You know it's almost 9:30..." he mentioned quietly.

She groaned tiredly in response. "I'm not always a morning person, you know."

"I know. I think I hear your mother downstairs though. At least I heard a few pots and pans about an hour ago," Inuyasha mentioned, running his fingers through her hair.

"How long have you been awake?" the brunette asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"For about two hours," he shrugged. "I didn't move because at first you were clinging to me and I didn't want to wake you up and then you turned over on to my arm," he smiled.

"Oh I'm sorry. I can be a heavy sleeper, you could have moved if you wanted to."

"It's fine. I didn't want to move," Inuyasha replied and kissed Kagome's forehead before they both sat up.

"Alright. Well she's probably making us breakfast so let's go," the teen girl said nonchalantly.

After they brushed their teeth they headed downstairs and in to Kagome's kitchen.

Kagome's mother looked at Inuyasha and her daughter and managed a smile, "Good morning you two…how did you sleep?"

Kagome's eyes slightly widened, hoping that her mother wasn't on to the fact that she and Inuyasha had, had oral sex the night before. "Uh…we slept fine. I mean it was just a normal night," Kagome mentioned. Why? Why did she have to sound so stupid right now? Obviously _saying_ it was a normal night means that _something_ happened. Why was she freaking out now? Maybe because her mother and her boyfriend hadn't been in the same room together for more than ten minutes before this…but…but…

"I slept fine. I was actually asleep before Kagome came upstairs and joined me. I didn't even know she had come in until this morning. I'm sorry for not taking the guest bedroom, Ms. Higurashi," Inuyasha replied with a genuine smile.

How was he doing that? How was it that he sounded as though he was enjoying her mother's company after all that had happened? Kagome didn't understand it. She was grateful and happy but…damn. He should be an actor.

Her mother looked just as surprised as Kagome tried not to. "Oh…Well, it's fine. Kagome told me you'd probably be in her room. As long as you got a good night's rest."

'_Okay well so far so good…and I don't think my mother knows what happened last night,'_ Kagome silently reassured herself.

"Why so quiet, Kagome?" her mother asked, finishing up making them all some eggs.

"Oh. I'm still just a little tired, that's all," the teen said, hoping that she managed to sound convincing.

Soon they were all at Kagome's dining room table. Her mother at the head of it and Kagome and Inuyasha on one of the sides all eating their pancakes, bacon, and eggs in silence.

"I hope you like eggs over-easy, Inuyasha…" the eldest of the trio asked.

Inuyasha nodded, "Yes I do. Thank you again for taking time to cook breakfast."

"Anytime…" her mother responded.

Kagome didn't know what to say as another silence followed.

She kept thinking, what could break the ice? Maybe they should ask each other questions? But how would she bring that up? She couldn't just say 'Hey! Let's toss around some questions! That'll be fun!' No. Just. No.

But it didn't seem like her mother needed her help with coming to that same conclusion.

"So Inuyasha…you live in your own apartment?" Ms. Higurashi asked.

"Yes I do. I've lived in my own apartment since I was about sixteen actually."

"Oh, so you preferred not to live with your parents? That's most teenagers' dreams it seems," Ms. Higurashi added with a small nervous chuckle.

Kagome's eyes widened a bit, "Well mom, actually…"

"It's alright," Inuyasha smiled. "Actually both of my parents are deceased. When I was sixteen I filed to get emancipated from the foster-care system and then I was able to go and get my own apartment since I was able to support myself," he explained.

"Oh…I see…I'm sorry to hear about your parents…"

Another long silence.

They all finished their food and Inuyasha smiled to himself a little. It wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. After all there was only one awkward question and a lot of silences but it was an overall nice meal.

He checked his phone and saw that it was nearing 10:30 and he stood up from the table. "If you'll excuse me…I have to go. But I do look forward to seeing you again, Ms. Higurashi. I just want you to know that I do care about your daughter and I enjoy being with her."

Kagome's mother nodded, "Okay. We'll see you another time Inuyasha," she responded before gathering their plates and heading back in to the kitchen.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed and she stood up and walked Inuyasha to the door. "Where are you going?"

"I think Naraku needs something of me. Two days ago he mentioned something like wanting everyone to gather at his apartment. I don't know…"

Kagome sighed, not wanting him to go but nodded, "Alright. Just be careful, okay?"

Inuyasha smiled and kissed her deeply. "I love you."

"I love you too…"

He then left. Kagome watched him walk down the driveway to the street, get into his car and drive off before closing the door. She couldn't help but get a bad feeling every time Inuyasha said he had to go off to meet Naraku.

Her mother walked back in to the room and snapped the teen out of her daze.

"He seems like a nice young man. I'm sorry that I've judged him in the past and that I didn't put more of an effort this morning…" her mother explained.

"It's okay. You tried a little bit and you saw he's a gentleman and he doesn't want to hurt me or you or anybody…"

"Yes I did. I'll be looking forward to the next time he can visit," her mother smiled at her.

Kagome felt a smile grace her own lips in return.

—_**xxxxx—**_

Back on Inuyasha's side of town, Naraku paced in his apartment. He was in front of Inuyasha and around ten other members of his gang.

Inuyasha watched as the man he had an ever-growing hatred for stop walking around and faced the gang.

"I have a job for all of you. We're going to one of the rich neighborhoods in this city and we're going to break in to a few homes. Steal their jewelry and any money that you happen to find. If the family is at home then tie up and shove them somewhere," Naraku began.

"No need to kill them, but I don't really care if you do. But it would likely cause too much noise and mess. Knock them out if they give you resistance. Man, woman, child. I don't care," he continued.

Inuyasha sighed quietly, not wanting to be a part of Naraku's schemes. He began thinking of ways he could get out of it. Maybe he'd make up some excuse about maybe he could watch from afar to warn them of any police. Anything to get out of actually breaking in to another person's home.

Then…his heart sank when he heard an address that was just a few houses down from Kagome's.

"That's the first one we'll go to. Then we'll follow the houses up that street, maybe five or six down. Then we leave. We should be able to have enough jewels and money by then. Those cunts are loaded with riches and I want some of it. Drug dealing is fine. But this seems as though it'll be even more fun. None of them will even know what's coming to them," Naraku laughed, causing everyone but Inuyasha to join in.

"We'll go tomorrow night. Everyone, make sure you have makes, zip-ties for tying anyone up and whatever else you feel is necessary," the deranged man added.

'_Oh no…'_ the teen thought to himself in a panic. His heart began to race as he tried to think of a plan. He had to warn Kagome. Somehow, some way he had to get to her and tell her. There's no way he could let the barbarians around him know where Kagome and her mother lived.

"Naraku…" Inuyasha spoke up, causing the room to fall silent.

"What do you want, you little bitch?" Naraku sneered, though he seemed to also be holding in a smirk.

Inuyasha grit his teeth and looked the elder in the eyes, "I was just going to say that maybe I should go case out the places since we don't really have a clear picture with what we're dealing with here. I should go see if any of them have dogs in the yards, notice if there are any police cars that frequent the neighborhood, etcetera."

Naraku's eyebrows rose, as though he was surprised to hear Inuyasha say such a thing. "Well, well. I think you're finally learning your place. Sure. Go right ahead. Come back soon though, Inuyasha. You wouldn't want to miss out on some more planning," he grinned, regaining his normal composure.

Inuyasha nodded and left the apartment. He nearly ran down the steps of the building and jumped in the car before pulling off and heading right back to Kagome's house to tell her what Naraku had planned.

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><p>BOOM! I'm done with this chapter! Fina-fucking-lly! <strong>I'm so sorry about all the waiting again. But I worked my ass off the past three days to get this chapter done<strong> and I hope you all enjoy it! ^_^ ***SHOT***

Dammit**! I'm sorry! DX I deserve it though**…As mentioned before in an A/N I took down yesterday I was **sick (couldn't breathe), **been **preparing for college which starts in 2 ½ weeks (Omg)** and I was also a **bit lazy (No surprise) **and there was **writer's block (*cry*).**

But anyway! I **hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I hope you leave me a review** letting me know what you think. ^_^

Uh next update? Will hopefully be by the 18th or 19th of this month. (I start college the 23rd DX )

**ALSO: **Because of **Renegade reaching 500+ Reviews (YAAAAAAAAY) **I'm **going to start working on a few different little stories** (3-5 chapters) and one-shots to put up **because you guys all helped me get there obviously! :D**


	36. Chapter 36

**ALRIGHT SO TO MAKE UP FOR NO UPDATES HERE'S A LONG CHAPTER! ^_^ *Shanked* DX I'm sorry!**

Anyway, sorry this wasn't up yesterday or the day before. I had company over and didn't get a chance to finish off the chapter. But now I'm done with my first semester of college! Yaaaaay (Until January 22nd that is…) Booooo.

**Anywho enough delay: Here is Chapter 36 of Renegade!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own this show. Those rights go to its respective owners.**

* * *

><p>What was he to do now? Within the next 24 hours Naraku and the other deplorable people Inuyasha had to associate himself with would be down the street from Kagome's house and would only grow closer.<p>

Just the thought of the brutes he knew being that close to Kagome, that close to _her home_, made him sick inside.

Inuyasha hurried downstairs out of the apartment, hoping that to others he didn't appear to be in too big of a rush. His mind began to race with dozens of questions. This couldn't really be happening could it?

How was Kagome even going to react?

'_What am I supposed to say? 'Hey Kagome, by the way Naraku is going to break in to your home whether or not you and your mother are here,' _He thought in a panic to himself. He tried to work out how he was going to break the news to her.

But it was more than just breaking the news to his girlfriend. His next big issue was how he was going to stop this from happening. He couldn't just sit idly by and watch the crimes happen. Even if he was successful in getting Kagome away from her house, then what would he do? Naraku's guys could ransack the place. They could find her picture. What if someone recognized her?

Before Inuyasha knew it he was in front of Kagome's home. He didn't know how he got there and if he even obeyed any traffic laws while on his way. The teen took a deep breath to try and steady his nerves; at this point he was shaking. She would never forgive him for this…how could she? It was his fault.

The teen stepped out of the car and made his way up along his girlfriend's driveway. He began to recite what he would try to say in his head – though it was of no avail. The words couldn't even form in his psyche. The fruitless half-sentences began to come out of his mouth. He thought saying it aloud would make it better. It was again, hopeless.

Why was he being so useless? _'Snap out of it, you damn pussy!'_ he scolded himself, _'You're acting like a child when your girlfriend is in trouble.'_

He stared at the large door in front of him as he tried to force the courage upon himself as he rang the doorbell. Why was he so scared to tell her? This was to possibly save her life, maybe even her mother's!

Inuyasha shook his head, he was acting like an idiot. There was no time for this. He knocked on the door and waited…

No answer.

His heart began to speed up. Was she already out of her house? He knocked again and this time, louder added in the doorbell once more.

There was still no answer.

The teen pulled out his cellphone and quickly pulled up Kagome's number and began to call her.

_Ring…Ring…Ring… _"Come on, Kagome…pick up!" he spoke aloud to himself.

After what seemed to be ages, the front door then opened and the awaited teen girl stepped out, running a hand through her dampened hair.

"Sorry, I was washing my hair. What is it, Inuyasha? What's brought you back so soon? Eager to see me?" she asked with a smile, immediately throwing her arms around his shoulders and pulling him in for a kiss.

"No, that's not it–" he tried to respond before his lips were silenced.

Kagome pulled back with furrowed brows and looked at him, "So what is it then…" she asked, now wary as to why Inuyasha had come back within an hour of leaving her place.

He sighed and put his phone in to his pocket. "Don't take that the wrong way…But, I need to talk to you. Is your mom here?"

"No, she just left for work. Did you need her for something?" the confused brunette asked again. Her stomach began to drop, fearing the worst; that her beau was about to break up with her.

Inuyasha didn't respond and only grabbed Kagome's hand, pulling her inside and shutting the door behind them. He took her over to her couch and sat her down while his mind tried to catch up with his actions.

"What is all this about, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, only growing more and more befuddled as the moments passed.

"Naraku…is planning on robbing this neighborhood and I'm pretty sure your house is in the way…" he finally managed to get out in one breathless sentence.

Kagome only stared at him for a second. Why wasn't she saying anything?

Inuyasha's stomach was in knots. Even the look on her face was indiscernible.

"How does he know where I live?" she finally asked, confusion finally being her decided expression.

"I don't think he does…"

"He knows where I live, Inuyasha. You've told me he doesn't like me and this whole robbery thing seems a bit random, don't you think?" she quickly retorted, her confusion quickly going to anxiousness. "Of course he knows. Something isn't right about this. This could be one of his tests that you mentioned he puts you through. What if it's that?"

But how? The teen had been so careful when he took Kagome back and forth. They had never been followed before and he had never even mentioned to Kagura where Kagome lived…

"Snap out of it, Inuyasha! This is serious. We need to call the police," Kagome announced, decidedly. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and got ready to dial before having Inuyasha's hands cover her own.

"No…If you call the police he'll know that I came to tell you and then he'll definitely have whatever confirmation he needs. I don't want you to get hurt," Inuyasha protested.

"And if we _don't_ call the police, then I'll definitely get hurt and so could my mom," the teen replied, growing angrier at the situation. "You may not want to stop him but I do. He seems to cause nothing but hell in other people's lives. First Kagura, then you, and now he's trying to step in on me. I won't have it!"

Inuyasha's brows turned down into a near scowl, "I do want to stop him!" he defended, "You honestly have no idea what he's like, do you? I told you, he doesn't get his own hands dirty. If anything, he'd just find a way to pin this all on me and then I'd go to jail!" he pleaded before taking a breath, not wanting to get angry at Kagome. Her anger and words were completely justifiable. "Take your mom out to dinner or something…Or shopping, just something. I don't want you two here."

"Are you even listening to yourself, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, looking taken aback. "I can't very well just whisk my mom away without raises some sort of alarm with her."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I don't care who they rob, well I do, but I don't want anything happening to you two."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and pulled away from him. "If we call the police then nothing will happen. We'll all be fine and the bastard will finally be behind bars where he belongs. After all that he seems to cause, I can't say he doesn't deserve it. Or do you not want him to go to jail?"

"I want that more than anything, but, trust me, this isn't the way to get him. But I'm telling you, there's no way he's personally getting his hands dirty with this. He'll just be there to 'supervise' if anything. There are a lot of guys involved with this Kagome. It's just like their other robberies."

"Robberies that you've been a part of?" she asked with a slightly criticizing tone.

Inuyasha stayed silent for a moment. "Not in the way that you think…I haven't personally stolen anything from anyone. Not from a residential neighborhood anyway."

"Are you telling me the truth? Because if you aren't then I'm going to really start to question how the hell you were able to get me this ring. It's beautiful but I don't want it if it was either stolen or bought with stolen money…" she trailed off looking at her hand.

Was she sounding irrational? Probably. Jumping the gun a bit? More than likely. But what else was she supposed to do? Her mind was working at a mile a minute and she couldn't control what was coming out.

Inuyasha shook his head, taking her hands back in his. "Kagome, I promise you. I didn't steal for this ring in any way shape or form. I have a bank account that no one knows about. Not Naraku, not even Kagura. I have about ten thousand saved up from the time I was sixteen. That's how I paid for the ring. Please don't go back to thinking I'm just your common criminal."

Kagome sighed, feeling bad that she had immediately jumped to the conclusion that he had stolen. "Alright. If that's what you say, then I believe you. I'm sorry. I'm just a little scared."

"Good," he replied with a sigh of relief. It did sting that Kagome thought he would do such a thing, but he understood that she wasn't totally baseless in thinking that way. After-all it did seem odd that he didn't want to take a stand against the man that had so far, for the most part, make his life miserable.

Kagome kissed him, sensing the air grow ever tenser. "It's okay…We'll figure something out, alright?"

Inuyasha nodded, however, wasn't too sure of that.

After about an hour at her house, he left so Naraku wouldn't become too suspicious about where he was. Could he really have known where Kagome lived? If he did…how long had he known and why was he waiting until _now_ to let it be known?

The questions continued to swell and build in the teen male's mind. It was driving him insane. He needed answers and he needed them soon. The only question was: did he want them?

Kagome sat back on her bed, biting her lower lip nervously. She had what seemed like several hours before this robbery would take place. It didn't matter to her what they'd take in the house. There actually wasn't much they could get away with other than maybe their TV or some jewelry and _possibly_ Kagome's wallet that was in her desk. But that wasn't her worry.

Her worry was what would happen if she and her mother were in the house when all of Naraku's goons came around. Would Inuyasha be with them? If he was could he even protect them and himself? What if this all escalated? Could someone be killed?

The thoughts were all terrifying and she didn't know what to do. That was even more terrifying.

_**-xxxxx-**_

The next night had arrived and Inuyasha was sitting behind the steering wheel of one of their getaway cars. His hands were shaking as he waited for a few of the men in his gang to get in the car. He took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to not let his anxiety show. He closed his eyes and remembered the run-down Naraku had given them all.

'_Now, now. This is a neighborhood none of you have ever been to before. They're rich, they have alarm systems, which Inuyasha graciously scoped out for us,'_ the gang leader had said with a vicious grin. _'If you run across any man, woman, or child – knock them out, tie them up and gag them and throw their asses in the nearest closet. This job doesn't require anyone's blood being spilt on the floor…however, if it happens. Well, you know the saying: They were just shit out of luck.'_

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. The previous day Naraku had ordered the men to not kill anyone. Now he didn't care if they did or not. The crazed man always changed his phrasing, knowing exactly what he was doing.

The teen heard the car doors open and close. The sound was followed by a swift slap against the side of his head.

"You ready, Inuyasha?" one of the members laughed. "I've been waiting to hit up one of these houses. You know, I hear that houses like this usually have some sort of safe hidden somewhere. Like in the movies, they're hidden behind a painting or a fireplace or something you know?" the member laughed and sat back in his seat, waiting for Inuyasha to respond.

"You're an idiot," was all he muttered back, opening his eyes as two other men got into the car followed by Naraku (who of course took the front seat).

The gang member was about to retort but was cut off by Naraku.

"Let's go," the leader said in a serious tone. His eyes focused straight ahead.

Inuyasha noticed that the older man's eyes were tinted with red and his hair was disheveled. Of course, the drug addict was getting high and who knows what else before this. The teen sighed, averting his gaze and pulled the car off, making sure to go slow and follow Naraku's street directions instead of taking them there himself.

Within minutes the three cars were on their decided street, parked far enough away from each other as each member got out, with the exception of Inuyasha.

Naraku smirked and walked over to the driver's side window and leaned down, "Out. We might need all the help we can get with this one, boy."

Inuyasha looked at Naraku with nothing but hate plastered over his face. He didn't care about hiding his disgust with the man any longer.

The leader made the teen stand next to him as he directed his members to different houses. Inuyasha's eyes continued to glance down the street towards Kagome's home. Making sure no members were directed that way. He stayed silent as his hands began to grow clammy. His love was probably in her room, panicking just as much as he was.

"After these three houses are done, we're going to move down the street and get the last three, got it?" Naraku announced to Inuyasha, breaking the teen's concentration.

His heart practically exploded and his stomach turned. He had to do something and he had to do it fast. He heard Naraku begin snickering and glanced over to see the older gentlemen holding his side with one hand and looking at his hand before calming himself down and straightening up.

Inuyasha looked confused, he had seen the man on drugs before, but this time something was different.

"Oh I'm sorry Inuyasha. I was just thinking…You know my hand," Naraku paused for a laugh, "my hand, can wrap around a young woman's neck very easily. I just thought about what it's done to Kagura, though she isn't young of course. She's very small. Take a good look at your hands. Do you ever look at them and think…_I can use these to kill_. It's quite amazing really." Naraku looked over and no doubt saw the washed out expression on Inuyasha's face.

Inuyasha cleared his throat and looked away.

"Calm down pussy. I'm just fucking with you. I'm entirely fucked up on this new drug combination I've been working on. It melts your mind you know? Drugs. Don't do them."

Suddenly the demented man's demeanor changed when he saw a gang member idling around outside of a house. He grew angry and pushed Inuyasha out of his way.

The teen seized this moment of opportunity and pulled out his cellphone, dialing the first number that popped into his head.

_**-xxxxx-**_

Kagome was laying on her bed, staring at her ceiling, trying to breath. When were those brutes going to come? She tried to get her mom out of the house earlier, but the woman was too tired to go anywhere. Inuyasha hadn't responded to her texts. What was going on?

She sat up in her bed, looking around for her phone, she had to try and call Inuyasha again. As she grabbed her phone, she paused. _'What if the robbery is happening right now? I can't call him then…Maybe something happened to him?'_ She didn't know.

The clock ticked past. Another twenty minutes seemed to go bye with silence except for what were probably some neighbors loudly slamming their car doors down the street.

Kagome put her head in her hands, contemplating what to do. Should she just grabbed her mother's keys and go to Inuyasha's place? Of course not, and then what would happen to her mother? The robbery could happen while she was gone and she wouldn't be able to live with herself after that.

The night was silent sans the distant sirens…Wait? Sirens?

Kagome shot up off her bed and ran over to her bedroom window just in time to see the faint flash of red and blue lights racing down the street. Her eyes widened and her heart began to race. _'Oh shit…'_ she thought to herself. She narrowed her eyes to see through the dark, seeing several men scatter and a few jump into cars.

"Inuyasha's down there!" she panicked aloud.

Suddenly a breathless voice came from behind her.

"No. I'm right here."

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin at the surprise. She threw her hands over her mouth to suppress a shocked scream. "How did you get in here?"

"Guest…bedroom window. I climbed the tree, it was open…" he panted, trying to breathe. "I called the cops. I had no choice. He would have sent guys to your house within half an hour…I'm…I'm sorry, Kagome."

She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him, getting the embrace returned. "Did anyone get hurt?"

"I don't know. I think they may have tied some people up but that's it. I can't stay long. Naraku is going to expect me back at the apartments, assuming he didn't get caught himself. He got distracted by one of the other members so I called the police. I'm sorry I haven't responded to any of your texts." Inuyasha was spewing hushed words a mile a minute.

Kagome quieted him with a kiss and hugged him tighter.

Suddenly they were interrupted by the doorbell. The trouble wasn't over.

"Shit one of the cops must have seen me come here…" Inuyasha whispered.

Kagome shook her head and kissed him again. "Just stay back. I'll go get the door." She hurried downstairs as the doorbell rang another two times.

On the other side of it were two uniformed policemen. The teen girl pretended to yawn and rubbed her eyes, "What can I do for you officers?" she asked.

One of the officers introduced himself, "Sorry to interrupt you miss, but there were a couple of robberies this evening. Have you seen any suspicious behavior around your home recently or heard anything in the last several hours?"

Kagome furrowed her brows and shook her head, "No not at all. Is there a danger still?"

"No ma'am. We arrested all of the men that were in the area. There were only five of them. We just wanted to ask around the neighborhood. Gather some witnesses."

"Was anyone hurt?" Kagome asked, trying to pry as much information out as possible.

"No ma'am. All is well. Have a good evening. Thank you for your time. If you happen to remember anything, please we urge you to come down to the station in the morning." The policemen smiled and walked away without giving the teen another chance to ask more questions.

"Those cops are idiots," Inuyasha muttered.

"What makes you say that? They were just doing their job."

"There were seventeen of us out there. They caught five. They didn't even interview you right," Inuyasha huffed angrily.

"Well at least everyone is gone alright?" Kagome tried to calm her beau. "I don't think they'll be coming back."

"Speaking of everyone being gone; I need to go before Naraku becomes suspicious," Inuyasha kissed her gently. "I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Okay, stay safe, alright?" Kagome kissed him again.

"Yeah." Inuyasha then left on foot, making sure to avoid the cops until he was in the clear.

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><p><strong>Sorry this chapter ends kind of weird. I had to tweak it and I didn't do a good job. Either way it feels good to be back! *Shot shot shot*<strong>

DX I'm sorry! Updates will be regular now. I'll try and get the next chapter up by the 21st (DOOMSDAY! D: ) No, jk. The world isn't ending but hopefully a chapter will be up. :D

**Anyway, I hope you guys all find this story as enjoyable as I do. ^_^ Until next time~ **


	37. Chapter 37

**Sorry that this wasn't up yesterday guys. I was busy with life as usual. Also sorry this is up later than what I normally put them.**

**Anyway, here is Renegade Chapter 37!**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my stories

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 37~<strong>_

Inuyasha finally made it to his side of town. He didn't want to face Naraku after what happened; what if the deranged man knew? It would be the death of him…

Inuyasha shook his head and hurried along to his apartment instead of Naraku's. The teen decided that he would stop over in an hour or so in order to give himself time to think about what he would say if Naraku asked.

The teen reached in his pocket for his keys and let a small smile appear onto his face. '_Why are you worrying? Kagome and her mom are safe, idiot. If Naraku gets mad that they had to flee so be it.'_

He entered his apartment and immediately froze as fear washed away his optimistic thought. In his living-room sat Naraku while the remaining gang members from the robbery stood around.

"What did I tell you, boys? I knew he'd show up here instead of my place," Naraku said through gritted teeth.

"No, Naraku. I-I just wanted to stop here first and gather my thoughts. I didn't think you'd be back so soon. I figured you'd call me or—" the teen quickly shut his mouth.

"Call you? Oh. I wasn't aware that you had a cellphone. Hand it over," the older man in the room said, holding out his hand but not looking at the teen.

Dread overcame him. In that moment, Inuyasha realized he hadn't deleted his call log. The number for the police department was still in his phone.

"I meant hand it over TODAY!" Naraku shouted, standing up and walking over to the teen.

Inuyasha sighed and averted his eyes before reaching in his pocket and handing over his phone. His eyebrows turned down as his expression turned to anger, easily replacing his fear.

Naraku smirked and went immediately where Inuyasha knew he would. "Well, well. Looks like we have a snitch in our gang, men!" Naraku stood and walked over to the teen, throwing his cellphone to the floor and smashing it underneath his foot.

Suddenly ten enraged men took a step towards Inuyasha in sync before Naraku put his hand up and told them to sit back down.

"He's mine. None of you are to touch him. Inuyasha…I've shown you what we do to snitches haven't I?"

"If you're going to kill me, then fucking do it! Don't just stand there and talk to me about it!" Inuyasha shouted at the older man in front of him, looking him directly in the eye.

"Ohh, I see what's going on. You've finally grown some balls. I'm not going to kill you, idiot. I'm going to make you suffer in one way or another. You. Will. Pay. You think you know crazy don't you? I know what you say. I know what you ALL say!" Naraku began to yell, his temper visablly rising.

"You all say, 'Naraku is batshit when he's high or when he's drunk,' well you fuckers haven't seen me when I'm sober. My high is gone so here it is. _I_ run this gang. Not any of _you._ Don't fucking forget that. I could have any of you dead anytime I very well pleased."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. The man was out of control. "Naraku. Stop and get out of my apartment."

"You're telling me to get out?" said intruder then laughed. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't _have_ an apartment that you don't have to pay rent in. This is _my_ apartment." He grabbed ahold of Inuyasha's neck with a grip that refused to let go.

Inuyasha began to choke; he felt his face heating up as Naraku's grip tightened. His hands began to pry at the gang leader's trying to force him to loosen it.

"You think you're tough, don't you Inuyasha?" Naraku spat as he threw the teen to the ground and delivered a harsh, rib bruising kick to his side to make sure he wouldn't get back up. "You couldn't handle half the shit I could. What? Did you do all this to protect that rich bitch of yours? To stop me from finding out where she lives? Here's a clue for you, dipshit. I know where she lives. I've known for months. I even know where her mother works. You can't keep shit like that from me."

Inuyasha looked up at Naraku, holding his side, "If you ever fucking touch either of them. I'll kill you," he threatened.

Naraku laughed, "You don't have the goddamn grapes. If I want to kill or _touch_ them, then I will. But if you want to kill me, then by all means go ahead." Naraku's face turned stoic as he pulled out his pistol and forced Inuyasha to stand up.

He placed the gun into the teen's hands and pointed it at his own temple. "Alright, pussy. Now pull the trigger. The gun is fully loaded. This is your way to rid the world of me," the disturbed man said with a smile.

Inuyasha felt his heart begin to race. What was wrong with this maniac? Even if the gun really was full, the teen couldn't just kill him. No matter how much he wanted to. Though the man did threaten Kagome and her mother…but what would the consequences of Inuyasha's actions be? If he pulled the trigger, what would his fellow gang members do? They wanted his blood after he called the cops on them. With Naraku dead, there would be no one to stop them from hurting him or Kagome as well.

Naraku saw the confused expression on Inuyasha's face and smirked. "Don't believe me that it's loaded?" Naraku yanked the gun out of Inuyasha's hands and walked across the room to one of the gang members standing around.

"Whoa, Naraku what are you—" one of them tried to ask.

"Shut up!" the leader bellowed, cutting him off before pointing the barrel of the gun at the back of one of the recruitments' head. He cocked the gun and, without any hesitation, fired.

Inuyasha watched as crimson red fluid sprayed all over his couch and floor. His breath caught in his throat. He'd witnessed murders before. But not like this.

The other gang members spread apart, to opposite sides of the room, all staring at Naraku with fear and realization in their eyes.

The man's demeanor had changed again, this time to something more grave and sinister than he had ever been before. He pointed to two members against a wall, "You two, dispose of this couch, body, and clean up the blood for Inuyasha. Now."

They didn't wait around. One ran over to the door to open it before retuning and immediately picking up Inuyasha's couch and carrying it off.

Inuyasha chest was heaving up and down, he was ready to vomit after seeing that. The body of the gang member was still lying in the pool of blood with his eyes rolled back and the gaping wound in his forehead.

Naraku walked over to Inuyasha and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "Don't ever fuck with me, kid. I've given you everything. Now you give me shit. Screw me over again and the next bullet in this gun is going up that pretty little thing's twat. Got it? As for this time, your punishment is coming and don't be surprised when it does. I always make people pay ten times what they cost me."

Naraku let Inuyasha drop back down to the floor and left the apartment with the other gang members. Each going back to their respective homes.

The teen sat with his back against a wall, staring at the body in his home for several minutes until the gang members came back to drag it out in plastic bags before driving off to wherever they were going to dump the two.

He disappeared into his room and ran his hands through his hair, shaking. "Naraku is crazy. There's nothing else to it…"

This was what the man was like while sober…Inuyasha shook his head, trying to fight back the nausea as he had been. Did he only make things worse? What would have happened had they broken into Kagome's house? What if Kagome's house had of been empty?

No matter. The only things that mattered now was making sure he didn't piss Naraku off anymore. Perhaps the man would forget his 'punishment.' Though, even that is doubtful. Another thing was that in a week, Kagome's birthday would be here.

The teen slightly smiled; he was glad that the thought of his beau was enough to at least make his mind stray for a short time. To keep his mind off of the situation in his living-room, he began to think of gifts he could give her.

But it didn't work for long. After several minutes, worry spread over him again. Why didn't he pull the trigger when he had the chance? It'd be the only way to ensure that the gang member never bothered them again. The only way Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kagura could ever escape would be if someone were to die…

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><p><strong>Well I'm sorry for the short and depressing chapter ^_^;;; But leave a review to let me know what you think of it? Next chapter might be a little short too.<strong>

**BUT HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL NO MATTER WHAT YOU CELEBRATE! (I'll see if I can get a holiday oneshot up. I haven't written one in a long while so I make no promises).**

**But anyway the next chapter probably won't be up until the 28****th**** or 29****th****! ^_^ Thank you all for reading and sticking around this far!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Sorry that this is up late guys! This should have been up like four days ago. I've been busy babysitting (horrible) children and trying to workout. xP**

**Anyway here is a new chapter of Renegade! ^_^ I hope you guys enjoy it! (It may be a bit short so sorry about that. Next chapter is going to be a long one I promise that).**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the series of Inuyasha! Just the stories I put up on this site.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 38~<strong>_

Slowly but surely a week dragged itself by. Inuyasha had yet to see Kagome face to face since the interrupted burglary. She continued to ask him question after question but he only gave out small, vague answers. How could he tell her the truth about what had happened? Was he supposed to say that Naraku shot a man in his living room just to make a point that a gun was loaded?

She didn't need to know that kind of thing, especially when her birthday had now arrived. He huffed and looked at his new, smaller couch that had been brought in to replace the old. At least Naraku had been "kind" enough to replace the teen's belongings as well as dispose of the soiled ones.

Kind; now that was a word that had no business in the same sentence as Naraku's name. Inuyasha almost wanted to laugh at the thought. The crazed man had been keeping his distance from Inuyasha; he did not even bother to speak to him through others. No one was talking to the teen. Not like he minded however.

Just as the thought of his more than needed isolation entered his mind, Kagura did the same to his apartment.

"Hey there, stranger," she spoke in a soft voice, carrying a small bag in her hands.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha responded in obvious excitement. He rushed over and hugged his visitor. It had been a long while since he had seen her, it was no wonder that Naraku had kept them parted. "Where have you been?" he asked, curious.

"Here and there. Everywhere," she shrugged as she hugged him back before placing the bag into his hands.

"What is this?"

"It's a gift, for Kagome. Today is her birthday, right?" she inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

Why was the older woman acting like she was? She seemed happier than usual. Some bruises on her neck were actually fading away, instead of just being covered up by new ones.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm going over to her house tonight. She's having some sort of party thing. Would you like to come?" he asked, not questioning his foster-mother's newfound mood.

"I don't think I'd be very welcome. Not because of Kagome…but, I mean look at me. Just give her my gift. That's enough for me. It's a diamond bracelet. Completely stolen-free," she grinned a genuine grin.

Inuyasha let out a small laugh, "Thanks. I'm sure she'll love it…it sure as hell shits on my gift…" he said, trailing off.

Kagura tilted her head a bit, "I highly doubt that. One; it comes from you. Two; You already got her a ring. Three; I'm sure she has thousands of bracelets. But it's the only thing I could find that I figured she would like. I don't know her that well, so I chose that."

"Where did you get the time?" Inuyasha asked, setting the bag down on his kitchen counter, next to a sleeping Buyo. "Damn cat…" he grumbled, never liking the feline to lay on the counters.

"Naraku has been leaving me alone recently. He's just told me to stay away and he's left me alone. I don't know why, but I'm already feeling happier. I know I shouldn't since this won't last forever. Maybe he's just giving me a taste of what freedom is like…or maybe it's because he's been too busy trying to keep you under control," she said, her tone turning serious near the end.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them, "What was I supposed to do? Let him send his posse into Kagome's house and hurt someone?"

"No. You weren't. I'm glad you didn't. But you need to be careful. Naraku is feeling very threatened by you, Inuyasha. You have him backed into a corner. I can tell. However, he's like an animal and when an animal is backed into a corner they become more dangerous and more unpredictable than anyone could imagine. Got that?" she warned.

"I don't see how the hell I could have him backed into a corner. I'm a wuss remember?" he retorted, clenching his jaw.

Kagura let out a small laugh, "You only think that. Because he keeps putting that in your head. He wants you to believe that you are so you don't do anything. I've seen it come out in small bursts, Inuyasha. You'll defy him one time, then you'll do it again another time. But this? This was big. Keep. It. Up," she encouraged, taking a few steps towards the teen.

"Kagura…I—" he started to respond.

"No, shut up. I don't want to hear 'I can't' because I already know you can. If he tells you to do something, don't do it. Look him in the eyes and say no. He won't know how to react. He'll flip out, yes. But if you hold your ground, he won't do anything. He wins by pure intimidation. He's strong, but he's a child."

Inuyasha looked at Kagura skeptically. "Then why don't you ever do any of this?"

Kagura, without skipping a beat, replied, "because he's not scared of me or what I might end up doing to him. Between me and him, it's a long convoluted tale. One that I got myself in to when I was younger, okay? I want to see you and Kagome make it out of this. I'll do whatever I can to make sure that happens too."

Inuyasha nodded, "Alright."

Kagura stepped towards the teen again and almost in a whisper asked, "are you scared of him?"

"Yes."

"I'll try again. Are you scared of him or are you scared of what he threatens to do? His _empty_ threats?" she asked, looking Inuyasha in the eyes.

"I'm scared of his threats…His…empty threats," Inuyasha said, looking back at her, almost wanting to smile at what Kagura was saying.

"So are you scared of him?" she asked again.

Inuyasha shook his head, "No."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. She looked behind the teen and at the new couch, "She's going to notice, you know."

"I know…"

_**~xxxxx~**_

Kagome looked at herself in the mirror, scanning over her relaxed outfit. She had on a simple blue tee shirt and a pair of black jeans. She knew her mother wanted her to wear something more "presentable" on her birthday, but it was _her_ birthday.

"Oh well. She'll be fine," the teen thought aloud. She glanced over at her alarm clock and smiled, knowing her beau would be at her house any moment.

That's when the thoughts began to race through her head; would her relatives be civil? How would they react to Inuyasha? Had her mother mentioned anything to them? How would Inuyasha take to them?

She shook her head, clearing her mind. It was all going to turn out just fine. There was no reason for her to be worried.

The brunette turned and headed out of her room, then down the steps to her living room. The moment her feet touched the floor her doorbell rang. She hurried over and opened the door seeing Inuyasha standing there in front of her.

She was mildly surprised to see that his appearance showed more care than hers did. He wore a pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved red, button-down dress shirt.

"I'm so glad you could come!" she exclaimed in excitement, practically hopping into his arms.

Inuyasha laughed and kissed her, "Of course I'd come over. I wouldn't miss your birthday, princess."

Kagome narrowed her eyes a bit at his end comment with a small smirk on her face, "Oh, haha."

Inuyasha closed the door behind them and carried Kagome over to her couch, setting her down and then placing her gift into her coffee table.

"I see you brought my gift," she said, trying to lean over to look into the bag.

"Oh, no you don't," Inuyasha said, moving the bag out of the way. "That's actually Kagura's gift to you. My gift is at my apartment," he clarified.

"Is it now? So I'm actually allowed back there now?" Kagome responded, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah; I'm sorry about before. Things are going to be different now though. Okay? I'm not going to back down from Naraku every time he threatens me," he responded, sitting down next to his beau and placing her legs over his.

Kagome smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the side of his cheek, "That's good to hear. Now, my cousins and such aren't going to be here for another hour…and my mom is picking up my cake, so she's gone for at least half an hour. What do you want to do in that time?"

Inuyasha looked at her, seeing the mischievous smirk appear on her expression once more. He turned himself towards her and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I love you, Kagome," he murmured as his lips touched her neck, trailing along her skin.

Kagome, ran her fingers over his shirt, letting out a small laugh, "I love you too. You know you didn't have to dress all fancy..." she trailed off as she let out a moan. The feeling of his tongue travelling down to her collar bones, dipping down in the small space between them before coming back up to the center of her neck.

"I want your people to think that I'm a good influence on you," he retorted, kissing up along her jaw before settling on her soft, pink lips. His hands moved along her sides, following her curves. He caressed over the fabric of her shirt before dipping his hands underneath and moving them up to her chest.

Kagome smiled a bit into the kiss, "My people?" She pulled him in closer to her body to move her herself against him. Thoughts of when her friends had been over passed through her mind and she bit down a bit on her lower lip, her face heating up.

Inuyasha kissed her again, nodding in agreement to the statement 'my people,' before leaning back up and seeing the contemplative look on Kagome's face. "What is it, Kags? Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No, no. I was just thinking about…how good what you were doing felt," she partially lied. Before he had a chance to respond, Kagome's lips were back on his; her tongue lightly teased the bottom of his lower lip.

He answered to her silent ask of entry and adjusted them both on the couch so she could be on top of him. He ran his hands through her soft, lush hair.

Kagome moaned again as his hands moved from her hair, down, around to her backside. He lightly squeezed her as he subtly pressed his hips upwards.

The next thing the two teens knew there were three shocked gasps at the door. They both shot up from the couch and stared at their visitors.

Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka.

"Of course…" Inuyasha grumbled, sitting back down and not so subtly placing a pillow over his lap.

"We. Are. So. Sorry. We didn't know you two were…uhm…" Ayumi began.

"No, no. It's fine. We weren't doing anything. Not like that anyway. It's fine. I just didn't expect you guys to be here so early," Kagome said, catching her breath and adjusting her shirt.

"They arrived early last time too," Inuyasha added, reminding Kagome of just a short time ago.

"Yeah, we're sorry, Inuyasha. Didn't mean to intrude. But the door was unlocked and no one answered when we knocked. We thought Kagome was in the shower," Eri tried to excuse.

Inuyasha furrowed his brows, looking at them like they were crazy. "You just barge into people's houses when you think they're in the shower? I mean it's okay that you guys came in I guess, it was an accident…but really?"

"We do it to each other, it's fine," Kagome laughed a bit, knowing Inuyasha would think she was weird for saying that.

He did.

The teen only shook his head and stood up once more, once he had 'settled down,' and walked over to Kagome's kitchen to get something to drink.

Kagome sat the girls' presents down and began chatting with them. Inuyasha popped in and out of their conversations depending on the subject matter.

Before too long more and more people had arrived, along with Kagome's mother and the cake. Inuyasha mostly stayed by Kagome's side, holding her hand at request. He tried to ignore some stares that he thought he was getting and became slightly more nervous. He didn't want to make Kagome look bad.

There had to of been at least thirty guests in her home, ones he had never met before, and ones that he was fairly sure that Kagome didn't even know. To his relief, however, hardly any of them spoke a word to him. They were all focused on the birthday girl and her mother. Expect for a few whispers about him that happened to float along in the air.

'_I think that's her gangster boyfriend her mother had mentioned a long time ago. He looks alright though. Definitely not what you'd expect.'_

'_No. Her mother said he wasn't dangerous after all. He still might be in a giant mob though…'_

Inuyasha almost wanted to laugh at the small whispers he overheard. Did these people think he was some sort of 1940s style Al Capone? "Mob," "gangster," who actually spoke that way to each other anymore? He shrugged and continued on with Kagome.

Eventually the gift unwrapping arrived; he felt his stomach drop a little as Kagome opened her first present. It was a birthday card that held a gift card valued at five-hundred dollars that could be used at any store. Next was a pair of green strappy heels. Then there were more gift cards and money, tickets to a concert, and a new music player.

Kagome looked happy with all her gifts and Inuyasha began to feel worse about his own.

She finally got to the last one, Kagura's and pulled out a small black box. "Okay this one is from Inuyasha's mom, who unfortunately couldn't make it today," the birthday teen said, as she opened it and caused a wide smile to appear on her face.

She immediately put on the diamond bracelet and hugged Inuyasha who was sitting right next to hear, handling all the bags and papers. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Where's your present for her, Inuyasha?" one of Kagome's guests asked.

"Oh…mine is at my apartment. I was going to give it to her later. I didn't want it to get messed up if I moved it…" he said, trailing off. Part of him was glad that he hadn't brought her gift. It was already blown out of the water with everything else Kagome had received.

"In that case I'm even more excited for it!" Kagome exclaimed, hugging him tighter.

After another hour of everyone lingering and eating more cake, they all left. The only ones still in the house were Kagome, her mother, and Inuyasha.

"I'm so glad they're gone…" Kagome huffed.

"Me too," her mother responded, walking over to the table where the gift unwrapping had taken place. "Wow, thank you for organizing everything Inuyasha. That was really nice of you." The older woman took notice of how he managed to fold down a majority of the gift bags and place them into one, while using a remaining gift bag to place the papers in. Even all of Kagome's birthday cards were neatly stacked on top of each other.

"Yeah, wow. I hadn't even noticed you doing all of that," Kagome added in. She leaned up and kissed him gently.

He returned the embrace then looked at his love, "No problem. Wait…so you two don't like your relatives?"

"It's not that we don't like them, they just get extremely annoying. It's the same gifts every year; I just put on a surprised face. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what I get but…it gets tiresome to have to fake it for them," Kagome laughed a bit.

"But you got at least fifteen-hundred dollars in gift cards there, not to mention probably five-hundred in cash and then jewelry and shoes and even your tickets," Inuyasha tried to reason.

"All material goods that'll wear out; Plus I don't even know what band that is. I've never heard of them. Like I said, it'll all eventually fade, except for maybe Kagura's bracelet. That'll last forever," she smiled.

"Yeah…okay," he nodded.

"Well you two have fun. Stay safe. I hope I can see the gift you got Kagome soon, Inuyasha," her mother spoke as she shooed the two out of the house.

"Yeah, I'll try and bring it over after Kagome sees it," he responded, taking her hand and leading her to his car.

_**~xxxxx~**_

Inuyasha locked the door behind them as they entered his apartment.

"Is that a new couch?" Kagome immediately inquired, her brows furrowing.

"Yeah, I'll tell you about it later. For right now let's just focus on what your gift is," he replied, quickly changing the subject.

Inuyasha placed his hands over Kagome's eyes and led her to the second bedroom, the one he had never let her go in to. He kept one hand over her eyes as he let them into the room and turned on the light. He took a deep breath and leaned down to her ear, "Happy birthday, sweetheart…"

His hand came off of her eyes and she opened them, blinking a few times to adjust to the sudden light. In front of her was a framed pencil-like drawing that had to of been at least four feet tall and almost the same in width.

In the drawing was a portrait of the two of them from the waist up. Her hair was all tossed to one side, giving him room to kiss her cheek. They both had smiles on their faces, his a small, gentle one and hers that looked like she was giggling. It could have almost been mistaken for a photo, it was so gorgeous. Behind the two of them were roses; Kagome's favorite flower and Buyo laying in them.

Her breath was taken away at the thought of how much time and effort he must have put into the drawing. At the same time she wanted to laugh at the bit of humor included into the background.

"Inuyasha…this…"

"Do you like it?" he asked, a bit nervously. "I know it's not money or gift cards or even something you can wear but—"

His words were cut off by her kisses, "I absolutely love it. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. How long did this take you?" she asked, turning back around to look at it.

"It took a long while; a few weeks. It's why I never let you come in here. You'd spoil it. I was thinking about getting you something else entirely though…or at least something to go with this. But I just figured you'd get everything you'd want at your birthday party. I couldn't think of anything," he shrugged.

"This is more than enough," she said feeling a little tearful. "Wow…"

Inuyasha smiled, happy to see how the drawing was affecting her. "Yeah, I drew it, had it copied onto acid-free paper and then placed in this UV plexi-glass frame," he laughed kissing her neck.

"That seems like a lot of work…" she smiled more.

"Oh it was," he joked, picking her up bridal-style.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on, "Really, Inuyasha…thank you. It's my favorite gift that I've ever gotten."

"All for you, my dear," he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss.

Kagome kissed him back and let him carry her off to his room.

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><p><strong>YAY! HAPPY ENDING TO THIS CHAPTER! WHOOO *shot for being a week late on this fic* I'M SO SORRY DX<strong>

Please accept my apology. Uhm, I'm not sure when the **next chapter will be up**. But I'll try and aim for it being the **12****th**** or the 19****th**** (big gap I know)** but school is starting up again on the 22nd so I have to get ready for that and all. *tears* (also sorry that this ending sucked )

**No jk, alright. Enough of my chatter! I hope you enjoyed and tell me what you think in a review!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Read this opening if you want: **Hey there…**If there are even any people left** who read this thing, remember that thing when I said I was back a couple of months ago? Yeah **I wasn't counting on getting extremely depressed** (to the point where I didn't even want to move during the day) **while in my second semester in college nor was I prepared to have to clean up more than one of my grades. I'm a procrastinating 18 year old, what can I say?** It was a pretty big eye opener. I had a chance to update this story during spring break, but I just couldn't bring myself to because I knew that there may be more months in between.

However, **I am on Summer vacation now and my next semester's class are MUCH MORE LAX especially in the times. I'm learning to get myself more organized, have school time, fan-fiction time, and me time (if I decide to keep writing after this story).** I just want anyone who's left to know **that I am truly sorry**, **real life** just **got in the way**. So if anyone is actually bothering to read this opening, know that what happened is inexcusable, at least in my eyes and I understand any frustrations that any of you may have felt.

**So yeah, enough of that! Here we go! Renegade Chapter 39!**

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Inuyasha at all!

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 39~<strong>_

_Two months had passed since Kagome's birthday and in that short time-span her mother had made great progress in warming up to Inuyasha. She had even begun to ask Kagome where the teen was if more than a day went by without his presence at their house. It was a nice change from before, relaxing even. Her mother was one less person they had to worry about being against their relationship. _

_Of course, there was still Naraku to be wary of. The deranged man had hardly been around for the past couple of months, at least around to bother Inuyasha that is. Kagura seemed to once again be taking the blunt end of his anger showing up with fresh bruises, black eyes, and bandaged cuts. Kagura refused to acknowledge her wounds however, only wanting Inuyasha to enjoy his time with Kagome whenever she would come over, especially since the 9__th__ month of their relationship was approaching…_

Kagome pulled her beau closer, draping her arms over his shoulders while he placed his hands on her hips.

"So when does your mom get back?" he asked as his head dipped down and his lips made contact with her neck.

"Not until much…_much_ later," she gasped feeling his tongue tracing along her pulse. "I think she said it wouldn't be until like ten and it's barely hitting noon now."

He smirked at her answer as well as her reaction to his kisses. He pulled away and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt, enough to expose her bra. His hands moved up along her sides until they were caressing the sides of her breasts. "That's a long time," he whispered, grateful that they finally had time alone after going nearly a week of not being able to do anything together.

They had both been busy with wrapping up school work as the end of the year was quickly approaching, as well as Kagome's trio of friends always being around. Not that he minded too much, it was just nice to just be the two of them for once.

Kagome looked into his eyes and unbuttoned her shirt the rest of the way, "Inuyasha, how far did you want to go today?" she asked, feeling her stomach begin to tighten into knots.

His eyebrows quirked, "I didn't mean anything by that comment. I was only meaning to fool around like we always have…I—"

Kagome kissed him to cut him off, pressing her body as close to his as she could. "But with all this time on our hands," she began taking a small breath to try and steady her voice, "do you think we should take our relationship further?"

Inuyasha was at a loss for words, was she really asking him what he thought she was? "Kagome I…"

"If you don't want to, I understand. I probably shouldn't have just sprung it on you…" she apologized.

"No, no," he continued. "I mean this isn't really something you plan…for the most part…But I don't think I'm the one you should give something so precious to…at least not as your first time," he muttered under his breath, his self-confidence dipping for a moment.

"Inuyasha, look at me," she demanded, grabbing his chin between her thumb and index finger to pull his attention back to her face, "I know what I want. I want you; I don't plan on breaking up with you to go have sex with someone else. I want you to be my first. But we can wait," she explained.

His nerves were getting to him, "I want you too, it's just that," he took a deep breath, "I wish I could be giving you my virginity too and I just want to make sure you were ready for this. It's not something you can just take back if you regret it the next day."

"I'm not going to regret it, I said. Besides, if you want we are always free to think of this as your first time too. Since it'll be with someone you love," she smiled. "Cheesy, I know. But it's still something we can do."

He smiled back at her, "I'd like that."

Kagome took his hands and led him up to her room, her heart racing the entire way. She was excited and nervous and was smiling so much she thought her cheeks were going to burst. She turned to him and pulled him into a kiss as she led him down on to the bed.

Inuyasha kissed down across the tops of her breasts moving towards her stomach. He used one of his hands to brace himself on the bed while the other moved to her skirt unzipping it and sliding it down her legs. His breath was shaky as he let out a laugh.

"This really happening?" he asked.

Kagome looked down at him and ran her fingers through his ebony locks, drawing her lower lip between her teeth and nodding.

Inuyasha sat up, quickly taking off his shirt and tossing it the floor, Kagome followed suit with her skirt and her blouse.

Before she could even react, he had removed her panties, and his tongue was pressed against her. Kagome sucked in a surprised breath and her back arched. "Yash…" she huffed out, moving her fingers back into his hair while his tongue lapped against her.

His hands stroked along her smooth thighs, caressing her gently. He felt the front of his pants grow tighter as he continued on.

The brunette closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto her pillows. A small moan escaped her lips, "That…ah, feels good."

Inuyasha smirked and ran his tongue over her clit, circling it slowly before teasing it again. He pulled up and undid his belt, before having Kagome's hands move his out of the way. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

She pulled him down into another deep kiss, their tongues meeting. "One second," she whispered against his lips. Kagome then reached over to her dresser where she had stashed the condoms she had bought a couple of months before. She grabbed one of the small packets and bit her lip again.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked, turning her face so she'd look at him. He received a nod in response and he smiled, kissing her again.

Kagome reached forward, undoing the front of his jeans. She helped push them off his hips along with his boxers, and wrapped her hand around his rigid shaft. She let out a nervous laugh but continued kissing him, twisting her tongue with his. Her soft hand stroked along his manhood with his hips slightly thrusting into her grip.

The brunette was about to move down her beau's body as she broke their kiss, but he stopped her. "No, I don't want to…cum, too quickly and if you go down, I probably will," he said anxiously.

Kagome smiled and nodded, "I don't mind, but okay." She pressed her lips to his bare chest as she opened the small packet in her hands and took out the condom. They pulled apart once more and each watched her fingers as they rolled the contraceptive onto his shaft.

The teen laid back, removing her bra and tossing it to the floor as Inuyasha took his jeans the rest of the way off. He moved over her body and began kissing her again as he began to position himself between her legs.

"Are you ready?" he asked, trying to slow down his breathing.

Kagome licked her lips and nodded, feeling the knots in her stomach return. She wrapped her legs around his waist, "Just do it…I love you," she managed to get out, burrowing her face into his neck, bracing herself.

"I love you too," he responded. He began pressing himself inside of her and felt her nails start to dig into his shoulders.

Inuyasha pushed himself forward, getting himself halfway into her virgin body and heard her whimper. He stopped himself and lifted his head up, kissing her cheek and forehead, "I'm sorry…"

"I'm okay," she promised, "go all the way," she huffed, letting out another whimper when he did. She grimaced a bit at the pain she felt but at the same time wanted to smile at what was happening.

He braced himself on the bed with one hand while the other gently grabbed Kagome's hip. He began to slowly move himself in and out of her body, letting out small moans every so often.

Kagome ran her fingers over his chest as she tried to get used to the foreign feeling. Feelings of pleasure mixed with pain washed over her body and she tried to move her hips with him. It was even more different than she had imagined it would be. Her breaths were short and shallow and small gasps would leave her lips when she could muster them.

Inuyasha tilted his head down, pressing his lips against hers before trailing down to her breasts. He ran his tongue over her perked nipples and ran his hand up from her hip, along her side, to cup her chest and tease her.

His hips started to go faster once she gave him the go ahead. Her nails scratched down his back again but this time it was more so out of her pleasure rather than discomfort.

Kagome moaned again, her legs tightening around his waist as his thrusts became slightly harder . "Ah!" she cried out.

"S…sorry," he gasped, breathlessly, slowly himself down.

Kagome shook her head rocking herself against him faster, ignoring the slivers of aching she still felt.

With her body moving against him, Inuyasha felt his body heating up as he was being pushed towards the edge. "K-kags…I…" he tried to get out.

She smiled, kissing him more and nipping at his lower lip. She knew what he was trying to say.

Without much other warning, Inuyasha let out a low groan, pushing himself all the way inside of her as his climax hit.

He placed soft kisses on her lips and cheeks with her returning the same embraces. He carefully pulled out of her and went to dispose of the condom in her bathroom. When he came back his eyes widened at what he saw on her sheets.

Kagome was sitting up and staring at the small speckles of red then looked at him and almost laughed at his expression. "Calm down, it's normal for that to happen to a girl with her first time."

"I didn't think I'd hurt you that bad…" he trailed off, walking back over to her bed and sitting down on the side of it.

Kagome wrapped her arms around him and kissed the side of his neck. "You didn't hurt me. It was nice. I wouldn't change a thing about it."

He sighed, not wanting to be a downer after what they had just shared. "But, if I'm right, you didn't even…"

"No, I didn't cum…but that's normal too. I'm glad you did. It still felt good, I'm satisfied, I promise, okay?" she replied, looking into his eyes. "Besides, we can always try again later today or tomorrow," she smirked, looking excited.

His eyebrows raised and he let out a small laugh, realizing his worries were for nothing. "Okay. I love you, gorgeous."

A blush took over her cheeks and she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I love you too."

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><p><strong>Okay…well I feel like this chapter was crap, especially after taking such a long hiatus. Sorry about that. Hopefully you guys think it was okay? I DON'T KNOW. I'M SORRY!<strong>

**But, anyway- until next time. ^_^ My goal is to get this story wrapped up by the start of my 2****nd**** year of college (which is like August 26****th**** or something like that).**

**I think instead of trying to get a new chapter up every week (because that seriously burns me out) I'll try for every other week. If it comes out before then, then so be it. But at the latest let's aim for the 9****th****! ^_^ Have a good summer guys!**

**Edit: Holy shit is this short...I am so sorry. I knew it'd be short but not THIS short. Word really distorts the way chapters look. Well next chapter will be at least twice as long. Promise.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hello once again! Well, if all goes according to plan you should be seeing this chapter before the 2 week mark hits or at the very least as the 2 week mark hits. Don't panic! I didn't disappear again! Like I said I'm trying to see how this every two week thing goes for me but if I can get it up beforehand I will!**

**Side note: I know last chapter wasn't that great, but I mean I am getting back into the flow of things so I hope this one turns out longer and better (the latter being more important).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha; anyone who would think that I do is just plain stupid.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 40~<strong>_

Kagome sat back on Inuyasha's couch, playing with the chubby feline that was perched on her legs. She began to smile, thinking back a few days to when she and Inuyasha had finally taken their relationship to the next level. Before she could even work up the nerve or even decide if she wanted to tell her friends, the trio of girls bombarded her with questions as soon as they saw her. It was apparently "written all over her face," which was a bit worrying to the teen.

Then again, her friends just knew her very well; that fact combined with their nosy nature and their knowledge of where Kagome and her relationship with Inuyasha stood beforehand it wasn't too surprising that they could figure it out so quickly.

"I'm surprised that Buyo isn't crushing you," Inuyasha muttered as he came up behind the couch and kissed Kagome's cheek, breaking her out of her train of thought.

She laughed, "he's not that fat. But if you think he is, put him on a diet." Her eyes watched as the cat rolled off of her legs and on to the couch cushions, lying on his back.

"That involves measuring how much he eats and keeping track of it. Too much work," he said, kissing her again, this time moving down to her neck.

Kagome laughed again, "Lazy…" she trailed off, moving one of her hands up to run it through his hair. She smirked feeling him nip at her skin. "You're feeling affectionate this afternoon."

His only reply was a simply, "Hm." His kisses along her neck became slower and longer followed by short flicks of his tongue every so often.

The teen girl moaned softly and turned herself slightly towards her boyfriend, locking her lips onto his. "You know what I want to do?" she asked, smirking against his lips.

Inuyasha grinned back, "What?" knowing full well what the answer was.

Before she could respond, a soft knock was heard coming from the front door. Kagome pulled back out of the kiss and quirked an eyebrow. "Were you expecting someone?"

The ebony-hair teen shook his head and walked over to the door, taking a deep breath and bracing himself in case Naraku was on the other side. The older man had still barely spoken a word to him; it was as though he was disgusted to even look at the teen's face. Though, for Inuyasha that was just fine. The less he had to deal with the drug addicted-alcoholic, the better.

He looked through the peep-hole and saw Kagura. The teen immediately opened the door and let the woman in. As he closed the door behind her, he noticed a large bandage around her forearm that was a deep red coloring starting to seep through it.

"Kagura, what happened to your arm?" he asked, concerned.

"No, hello?" she asked in a feigned laugh. Her eyes locked onto the expression he had written across his face and sighed. "Naraku didn't like that I put up such a fight with one of his 'friends' in the gang. So he came at me with a blade and I blocked it. Then he laughed and left the room to go pass out on the sofa."

Kagome's jaw dropped and she practically ran over to the injured woman. "Kagura, we need to get you to a hospital."

The older woman only shook her head and let out a scoff, "he's done far worse than this. I'm just glad this was enough to amuse him. I'll be fine. It looks more serious than what it is. I just need new bandages, that's why I came over to ask Inuyasha if he had any."

"In the hall bathroom…" he trailed off, anger building inside of him. He knew that Kagura had been through much worse with Naraku, but seeing her injured by the bastard, even with something the woman would describe as being trivial, made him boil.

Kagura made her way to the bathroom and Kagome walked over to Inuyasha, placing her hands on each side of his face. "It's okay. Maybe we should call the cops or something?" She asked, despite knowing that both he and Kagura would object to calling the authorities.

"No. It won't do any good. That's not what needs to happen to that prick," he muttered furiously.

Kagome's eyes widened a bit with concern, "well I don't want you worrying about what needs to happen to him, okay, Yasha?"

He looked into her chestnut eyes and sighed, nodding. "I can't do anything to him anyway. Not like that. I'm not scared of him anymore…but I...I can't—"

"Bring yourself to his level?" his beau finished for him.

"I guess if that's the way you want to put it," he shrugged. His eyes turned back towards the hallway just in time for Kagura to reappear.

"Sound travels really well in your apartment, you know?" she said with a small smile on her face looking at Kagome. "Don't call any police. It wouldn't do any good. You should know that by now. I'm fine now."

The younger woman held back a grimace and only nodded, she understood their reasoning for not wanting to involve the authorities but at the same time she couldn't understand it. Maybe nine months around these two wasn't quite long enough yet.

"Oh! Before I forget…" Kagura said aloud as she reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope. "This was in your mailbox." She handed the mail over to Inuyasha and leaned against a nearby wall as he opened it.

His brows furrowed at first but then a smile came over his face. "This is great!" he exclaimed, immediately happy again.

Kagome looked up at him, "What is it?"

"I got the financial aid I applied for. Guess I will be able to go to college without taking out a shit ton of loans. At least for the first few years anyway," he replied, kissing Kagome's forehead.

She smiled from ear to ear, "That's awesome! I wonder if mine got accepted."

Without missing a beat, Kagura cut in, "You need financial aid, Kagome? Er, sorry that sounded rude…but really?"

Kagome laughed a bit, "I'm not that rich. Middle class really, plus I live in a single parent income household. My mom makes less than the maximum income allowed. So I qualify, it's just a matter of whether or not I got the aid. It's the reason that I might just go to the community college like Inuyasha for a couple of years instead of just going straight to a bigger school."

"Well alright then. It still makes no sense though that they don't just email these things out, at least this in day and age," the older woman replied.

"They send it out to both. At least for now, eventually they'll probably stop," Inuyasha explained still grinning.

Kagome had rarely seen him so happy; it was a refreshing aura to him.

The trio continued to talk for a while, about the teens quickly approaching college days, their high school graduation coming up in three months, and other small things. They were having a pretty good time; even Kagura had begun to perk up a bit.

However, another knock was heard on the door to Inuyasha's apartment. This time it was just soft taps on the wood as Kagura had done. It was a firmer and more impatient thud.

"Shit. What time is it?" Kagura whispered to Kagome.

Kagome furrowed her brows and looked at her phone, "It's four-thirty. Why?"

Kagura mouthed another curse and closed her eyes, "I didn't realize I'd been here for nearly four hours. He's going to kill me." The older woman stood up and walked over to the door before Inuyasha could stop her.

On the other side was Naraku, his eyes were narrowed and his nostrils flared. His stare turned from Kagura to Inuyasha and the tension in the room grew heavier.

"Naraku I just came over to get bandages. That's all, okay? Let's go," Kagura tried to convince the man.

Without responding he pushed the woman out of the way and let himself into the apartment, walking up to the only other male in the room. "Where the fuck have you been, huh?" the drug-addict asked firmly.

"I've been going to school and keeping away from you. You said you didn't want to see my face and that works just fine for me," Inuyasha responded in the same manner.

"You're getting a real mouth on you, you know that? I have half a mind to—" he stopped, unclenching his fists as he realized Kagome was in the room watching wide-eyed.

The older man turned his head towards her and his expression strangely lightened. "Oh, Kagome, where are my manners? I hadn't noticed you there," he said with a grin.

Kagome shot Inuyasha a glance noticing her beau was becoming enraged from Naraku speaking to her. Her look shut him down as she desperately tried to silently tell him everything was fine. She looked back at Naraku and nodded once, "It's fine…"

"Sorry you had to see that. I'm just trying to keep Inuyasha out of trouble, but his words have no idea what they might cause," the older man said nonchalantly.

The other three in the room began to feel even more uneasy at Naraku's presence. His behavior was erratic, his words even more so. None of them knew what to expect.

He continued, "You see. I think Inuyasha is starting to believe that everything around here is all fine and dandy. He doesn't know what some people might do to him. He thinks they aren't capable or that they're scared. But they aren't. You might even say he finds some of their _threats empty._"

The stress put on the last two words immediately sent a worried chill through the spines of both Inuyasha and Kagura alike. Did he know what the two of them had talked about? If so how? When did he find out? Neither of them would ever tell him their words. Perhaps this was all a strange coincidence?

Kagome wasn't aware of the thoughts racing through the heads of Kagura and Inuyasha, but she was aware of the looks they were exchanging one another.

Naraku continued looking at Kagome, his prolonged stares were starting to make her feel uncomfortable, but she didn't let on.

The icy silence in the room ended when Naraku straightened himself and looked at Inuyasha once more, "Be at my apartment later." His sentence ended at that, there was no 'or else' add-on which was worrisome.

He turned and grabbed Kagura tightly around her wrists before leaving the apartment, slamming the door behind them before anyone could say anything else.

"I need to take you home," Inuyasha remarked while looking at the door.

Kagome shook her head, refusing, "no, I'm fine. Naraku's creepy but it's nothing to worry about."

"When it comes to you, I don't want to take that chance," he responded, turning his ashen eyes back to her. "He got a little too friendly with you. I don't know why you wanted me to stay quiet."

"Because I didn't want you doing anything that might have gotten someone hurt. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," she smiled, standing up and going over to hug him.

Inuyasha hugged back and kissed the top of her head.

A few hours more had passed and the teens had eaten dinner that Inuyasha had prepared.

As they finished, Kagome looked at Inuyasha and furrowed her brows, "You know, you still haven't told me what happened to your old couch. This new one just sort of…appeared," she said with a shrug.

Inuyasha's eyes met hers but he remained silent.

"You know you can tell me, right?" she said in a soft voice, placing a hand on his arm.

"It's not that I can't tell you. I'd just rather not. It's better for you to not know," he replied, standing up and grabbing their plates and glasses before taking them into the kitchen.

"You always say stuff like that. Acting like I can't handle something. I know that Naraku does illegal things like drugs, what he does to Kagura, and yeah he probably even kills people that we don't know about and I know that no one does anything about it and—"

Inuyasha cut her off before she could continue, "he does kill. I don't know how many, no. But I've seen a few, okay? No, I don't report it. No one does. I know it's wrong, but I know if I do at least at this point I'll probably be arrested for being an 'accessory after the fact.' I've done my research," he retorted and then took a deep breath, calming down. He didn't want to argue with her and he didn't mean to make her feel like a child. It was just hard to talk to her about these things; it was hard to talk to anyone about these things in general.

"If you really want to know, right over there, in front of that couch he shot one of the other guys in the gang to prove a point to me. To show me he didn't care about anyone's life. The blood got on the couch and he brought me a new one," he finished explaining.

Kagome's expression changed from one of frustration to one of concern and she immediately went over to hug him. "That's…"

Inuyasha hugged her back again, "It's fine. I just didn't want you to be freaked out being over there by the couch so I didn't want to tell you that."

Kagome nodded understanding, "I get it. But," she paused and let out a sigh, thinking of what to say. "But, I'd rather know these things than not. It'll help me to be more careful around him, you know?"

"If I can help it, you won't be around him very much," Inuyasha grumbled. He glanced over at the clock on the stove and saw that it was nearing eight in the evening. He realized that he needed to go meet with Naraku before the crazed older man took it upon himself to come back to his apartment.

"I'll be back," he said with disdain in his voice. Inuyasha kissed Kagome gently, pulling her closer to him before breaking the kiss and heading to the door. "Don't open the door for anyone but me or Kagura. Just pretend like you're not here, okay?"

Kagome nodded and watched him leave, locking the door behind himself.

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><p><strong>We'll just leave it there for now. I was going to put more, but I think it'll work better in the next chapter ^_^;;;; Sorry this chapter was shit too and I think still too short... I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things which is turning out to be slightly frustrating because I still need to plot out more for this story.<strong>

**But if any of you have any ideas of what you'd like to see in this just leave it in your review! ^_^ If I happen to use your idea in some way (modified of course) or your idea sparks a different idea in my head I will give you full credit in the chapter that it shows up in!**

**Anyway, I hope you are all having a great day and that you enjoyed the chapter *probably not* *expecting shanks* Until next time! 8D**


	41. Chapter 41

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is a day or two late (depending on if this goes up Tuesday or Wednesday) [EDIT: This is now going up on Thursday. But I'm not changing that first sentence. As it'll be a reminder of my failure.] I didn't feel up to writing just yet so I had put it off for a day. I'm sorry! But anyway…let's hope this chapter is long and entertaining? (Probably won't be) But let's hope you guys review it anyway! ^_^;**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA.**

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 41~<strong>_

Inuyasha headed down the steps and out of his apartment building, looking across the street to Naraku's "lair." He huffed and walked across, trying to clear his mind of every ill thought he had. He did not know what was going to happen, he just hoped he would not lose his temper and lash out at the man.

The teen had only done that a few times and the end results were never good. They would not always happen right away. The crazed older man had a habit of getting back at people weeks, even months after they had dared to cross him. It began to click…

'_Maybe he's just waiting for me to let my guard down…'_ the teen silently thought as he approached the door to Naraku's apartment. _'If that's the case then maybe his threats aren't empty.'_ He shook his head knocking the doubts right out. No, the man never made good on half the threats he tossed out. He tried to use his presence to terrify the people around him. It was not going to work on Inuyasha anymore.

He knocked. No answer. He knocked again. What was going on? Did Naraku tell him to come over and now he doesn't answer the door? After a few more knocks and trying the knob, the teen shrugged and turned, relieved that he did not have to go inside.

Before he could take more than three steps away from that cursed door, however, it finally opened. Naraku was in the doorway with a sickening grin. "You don't even call my name, Inuyasha. You just knock and turn the handle one or twice? You could at least put some effort into it," the older man remarked.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed a bit and his jaw clenched as he faced the sarcastic voice. "I wasn't going to waste more of my time at a place I don't want to be," he sternly replied.

Naraku's grin slowly dissipated as he realized there was no falter in the teen's speech. The man straightened himself up and looked Inuyasha with an obviously growing temper. It was amazing how fast his mood could change. "Well it's a place you have to be. I was going to be nice to you…But you're forcing my hand here," he nearly growled.

Inuyasha's brows furrowed when the crazed man walked back into his apartment leaving the door open. He looked around himself, trying to decide what to do. Should he go in? Should he go back to Kagome? That decision was quickly decided for him when he heard a faint whimper from inside the apartment. Who else could it have been but Kagura?

The teen rushed inside only to be greeted with a punch across the jaw. The surprise hit knocked him down to the ground where the attacker preceded to kick him in the ribs. Inuyasha grabbed the assailant's leg, seeing it was one of the other gang members and pulled him down. The other man's head hit the ground and Inuyasha quickly took advantage, pinning him down and beginning a series of punches across the man's face.

Before the teen could cause more damage, he was quickly pulled off and thrown against a nearby wall, this time by Naraku. "I didn't give you permission to fight back! You are going to learn to fucking take my orders!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He swung at the teen's head.

Inuyasha quickly ducked out of the way and heard the sound of the crunching plaster as Naraku's fist made a very noticeable crater in the wall.

"I'm done listening to you, Naraku," the teen protested. "Now where is Kagura?"

Naraku kept his fist against the wall and ran his free hand through his hair. He started to laugh.

For the first time in a long time, a small and cold chill went through Inuyasha's spine. Naraku's laugh was genuine, a mix between joy and a bitter evilness. "That bitch tried to tell me what I could and could not do to you and your little slut across the street. So I reminded her of her place…Your new friend over there," he said pointing to the gang member sitting against the wall holding his nose as blood poured through his hands and onto his shirt, "and I had a little fun. Now she knows her place and that's what took me so long to open the door."

He continued, "You see, boy, I am the mastermind of everything that goes on here. I. Am. The. Boss. Whether you go to that crappy community college with your financial aid or not, I will always be in charge of you. You say you're done listening to me, yet here you are…" the older man trailed off.

Inuyasha's stomach churned slightly at the thought of what torture the two bastards in the room did to Kagura. Then something else rushed into his head, "How did you know about my financial aid? I never told you…and more importantly where is Kagura?"

The man started to laugh again, taking his fist from the wall and walking over to the teen. He stared him down, not breaking eye contact, not even blinking. "I hear everything, Inuyasha. I have my ways. But if you really must know…" he snapped his fingers, making the other wounded man stand up and go to the back of the apartment, still holding his broken nose.

After a minute the man dragged Kagura out, who was wrapped in a sheet and dropped her bag next to her.

Inuyasha looked down at her and immediately went to her aid. "Kagura, look at me. It'll be okay…"

She looked up at the teen and looked at Naraku, "you said you were going to leave him alone…"

"How many times do I have to repeat myself?!" he yelled again. "You think I'm dangerous when I'm high? When I'm drunk? You have no idea how dangerous I am when I'm sober. If I want something done it gets done! If I want someone dead, they end up dead! If I want to leave Inuyasha alone then I'll leave him alone! You don't tell me what I get to do you ugly used-whore!" His temper was swelling, he grabbed Kagura off the floor, pushing Inuyasha aside, and made her stand up.

Inuyasha tried to stop him from touching the woman he only got knocked back down by Naraku's punch. When one of them actually connected, it could be devastating. Inuyasha held the side of his face and was about to get up again.

Naraku paid him no mind, he grabbed Kagura's bag and dumped the contents onto the floor, once the bag was emptied out, he reached inside the bag and a small ripping sound was heard. He tossed the now empty fabric at her and showed them both a small black object that looked as though it were a microphone. "I have connections that neither of you know about. I got tired of secrets being kept from me, whenever Kagura was around I heard every little word that you fuckers said. About how my threats are empty, about how you, Inuyasha, don't want to sink to my level!" his voice began to rise.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, quickly standing up, ready to fight the older man.

"What are you going to do, boy? Fight me? We've tried this before. Each time you've lost. Even if you win, you still lose. I'm the one in control! I will repeat that for as long as it takes! But I am in control. Not you, not this old whore, Kagura, and not the new whore across the street!" Naraku moved to the side as Inuyasha swung at him and he quickly wrapped his arm around the teen's neck, squeezing.

Inuyasha's rage was growing as well. He clenched his fists and hit backwards, making contact with Naraku's face a few times, only to have the man's arm tighten even more around his neck.

Naraku dropped them down to the ground and managed to pin Inuyasha's legs with his own. "You forget, you Pussy. I use to box and wrestle. I will always win a fight. You know nothing but those pathetic street moves I taught you," he laughed. He squeezed his neck even tighter causing Inuyasha's face to turn red. Naraku ignored Kagura's pleas for him to stop.

"One of these days, Inuyasha, you're going to regret everything that you've ever done in resistance against me. You're not going to know when it's coming or who is even going to do it. But you're going to keep listening to me. Otherwise life is going to get a hell of a lot harder for not only you, but Kagura and Kagome over there. I hear she's even got a sharp tongue, someone should teach her how to use," he laughed.

Inuyasha gasped for breath letting out a, "you wish, perverted prick. I'll kill you before I let that happen," through gritted teeth.

"No, no, Inuyasha. You don't want me to wish something. When I do it _always_ comes true."

"Naraku please, please just let him go, okay? Don't hurt him…I'll do whatever you want," Kagura's pleas finally starting to reach his ears.

"See there? She remembers what her place now. It was a simple re-breaking in and I am going to do the same to you."

Those were the last words Inuyasha heard before he fell out of consciousness.

He couldn't have been out more than thirty seconds, but he still found himself outside of Naraku's apartment building, no one else around. He rubbed his neck and took long deep breaths, cursing Naraku's name with every one.

It didn't take much longer for him to hear footsteps running across the street to him. He turned and his eyes met Kagome's. "Inuyasha are you okay?" she asked, immediately placing her hands on both sides of his head, inspecting what he assumed were the bruises from his assaults starting to show up.

"I'll be okay…" he said, grabbing her hand and walking her back to his apartment.

He explained to her what had happened to him while he was over there, leaving out the detail of Naraku's 'wish', wincing whenever she would put an ice pack against the bruise on his cheek.

"Yeah, I was looking out the window in the bedroom the whole time, waiting for you to come back…but then I saw Naraku and some other guy dump you on the steps…I thought they had killed you or something…" she trailed off, "but then you started moving right away so that theory went out the window, thankfully," the brunette said with a small smile, kissing her beau gently.

Inuyasha kissed her back and shook his head, "He can't take me from you that easily. But now I have to search this place for anymore bugs. If he could bug Kagura that easy, who's to say that he can't bug anything else?"

Kagome nodded and sat back in the bed, looking at him in thought.

Inuyasha looked back at her and then looked away, "I'm sorry you have to put up with this…it's not what I want."

"I don't have to. I want to…well not _want _but…I don't mind too much," she replied with a soft shrug.

"I don't see how you don't mind…"

"Well, I don't mind a lot of it, but if we're being honest a lot of what you've told me has made me go off and cry in private…I even threw up a bit when I first learned what that man does Kagura. When you were gone just now, I cried learning about the couch thing. It's not something that people can just easily accept. Guess I'm not as strong as I tried to make you believe huh?"

Inuyasha looked at her again and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, "It makes you stronger, I think in a way. Everyone needs to have a little time to themselves for that sort of thing…I'm just sorry it's because of me that you have to experience anything like that at all…"

"You don't have to be sorry,' she responded. "I love you and you love me, everything else can be dealt with later," she smiled, wanting to switch the topics.

Inuyasha understood her silent want and kissed her again.

"Let's go to my house that way we can be in peace. You can spend the night and we can do whatever you want tomorrow," she said with a wide and excited grin.

"Why all the excitement all of a sudden?" he asked with a raised brow.

Kagome's jaw dropped, "Do you honestly not know what tomorrow is?"

The teen male sat back in thought for a few seconds before realizing, "Oh, my birthday…I never pay attention to that day. It just sort of passes usually. Unless Kagura makes me a cake or something."

Kagome smiled, "well tomorrow we'll get you a cake, you'll get your present from me, and we'll have a nice time. Now let's go! This is your last night to be a teenager!" she said jumping up from the bed and pulling Inuyasha up with her.

"Does your mom know about that by the way?" he asked.

"I don't remember, well she'll find out tomorrow," Kagome responded, getting her shoes and rushing him out of the apartment.

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><p><strong>Sorry about the ending guys ^_^;;; It's a bit bleh but that's what caused the delay by another day and why this is up on a Thursday instead of a Wednesday. It was as I put to other people "a roadblock" anywho. I hope you guys maybe enjoyed this chapter? I dunno, but leave me a review letting me know!<strong>

**Credits;**

**Raven-2010: **She helped to spark some ideas in my head about things Naraku could say while in the apartment attacking Inuyasha so thanks for causing a brain storm. :P

**Aiydan Warrior: **Reminded me in one of his comments that I haven't had Kagome actually react in a very good way to all that she's seen/been told about Inuyasha's home life/Naraku's behavior, so I put that in this chapter! ^_^

**Thanks guys for causing these ideas to pop into my head, and until next time~**


	42. Chapter 42

**Hehe….Yeah sorry this chapter is late. But hopefully you guys will be seeing this July 21****st****. As you guys know, I was distracted by other things in life but I'm kicking my own ass to get back in line. This story is not going on another hiatus! *Knock on wood* But, anyway, let's get on to the chapter, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA. Honestly, who on this site ever claimed to own this series or any series for that matter?**

**Side-note: **Aiydan Warrior informed me that they are in fact a SHE, NOT a HE as I previously stated and for that I apologize. ^_^;;

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><p><em><strong>~Chapter 42~<strong>_

Inuyasha yawned, stretching out on Kagome's sheets before turning over onto his side, trying to shield his face away from her window. He heard a soft laugh in his semi-conscious state right before he was pounced on. The teen girl stayed perched on his hip and began poking him.

"Wake up, birthday boy. Wake up!" she got out between more laughs as he tried to cover his head with one of her pillows.

"You're so annoying," he teased as he peeked out at her, only to receive more pokes at his side. He started to laugh and turned onto his back, knocking Kagome off-balance. He grabbed her hands with his and looked her in the eye, "No. No tickling," he said with a smirk.

"I wasn't tickling. I was poking," she replied with a similar grin on her face. "Come downstairs, I made you a giant breakfast," she continued with excitement. She pulled her hands free and placed a chaste kiss on his lips before hopping up.

Inuyasha finally sat up and stretched again, letting out another yawn. That was when he caught a glimpse of her alarm clock, "It's only 9:00AM, why am I awake!?"

Kagome laughed again and shook her head, "you can't sleep away your youth every single day."

"Says who?"

After brushing his teeth and following his beau downstairs, he looked around and asked, "where is your mom?"

"It's a weekend, she's not going to be up this early," Kagome said with a grin waiting for Inuyasha's expression. She was not disappointed to see his faux-angry look that she got him up as "early" as she had.

He sat down at the table and saw a box, wrapped in overly decorated paper. "I feel like…this is my present," he stated, starting to peel open the wrapping.

Kagome hurried over with their plates of food, she was practically bouncing with excitement. "It is and it's lame, but I hope you'll like it. I've never really been great and giving people good gifts."

He smirked, resisting to make a smart-ass comment and continued, "you seem more excited than me for my birthday."

"I've noticed that. Maybe it's because I'm dating a man in his twenties now," she kidded. Her eyes watched as he finished opening the paper and then pulled the box out, letting out a small laugh at his leisure pace and the care at which he had unwrapped it.

Inuyasha pulled out his gift and looked at it for a second, "a heart-shaped medallion?"

Kagome almost placed her face in to her palm, "No. It's a locket. Open it up, silly."

"Oh, duh," he replied, wanting to do the same thing Kagome was attempted to do at his own guess at what the present was." He pressed the small button on the side of the locket and saw that each side contained a picture of the two of them. One of the pictures was a humorous one of Kagome making a goofy face; her eyes crossed and her tongue out while Inuyasha only raised an eyebrow and looked at her with half-smile on his face, full of amusement and the other was a regular couple's picture; the two of them sitting next to each other with Kagome's head and his shoulder.

"I took them at my birthday party, remember?" she chimed in, unsure on whether or not he liked it.

"Yeah I remember," he looked at her before continuing, "thank you. I really like it. I think it captures your personality very well." He put it around his neck and tucked it under his shirt.

"Are you being sarcastic?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"A little, but, not quite. I really do love it and I think it does show a little bit about us," he grinned, leaning over and kissing her gently.

Kagome kissed back, draping her arms over his shoulders, "well I'm glad you don't think it's lame."

"Oh, well, I never said that," he quickly replied, receiving a soft punch on his shoulder from her.

"Smart ass," she laughed.

Just as they both started to actually eat, Kagome's mother came downstairs. "Oh, good morning, you two." She headed over to the food Kagome prepared and made herself a plate before sitting down with them. "So, if I'm not mistaken today is your birthday, right Inuyasha?" she asked, taking a bite of her eggs.

Inuyasha nodded, "yeah, Kagome made me acknowledge it," he tried to joke, still unsure of how much his beau's mother liked him despite the fact that she had obviously been warming up to him.

"Well happy birthday. I don't remember if you've ever told me, but how old are you now?" she asked, taking another bite.

"Thanks. I'm uh…twenty," he at first hesitated, "I started school a year late because I had gotten real sick so I never got to take an entrance exam," he explained.

Kagome slightly bit down on the inside of her lower lip, wondering about her mother's reaction.

Though the older woman hesitated a bit, she quickly recovered. "Well, I suppose it's only a year older than Kagome. I'm sorry that I didn't get you a present, but I'll think of something. I still don't know you that well but I didn't want to just get you a card. What young man only wants a card for his birthday?" she continued on.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome holding in a laugh at her expression. She seemed to get that look in her eye that many teenagers do when their parents talk on and on.

He looked back up at her mother and shook his head, "oh it's fine. I don't need a present.

The older woman's brows furrowed a bit. "Inuyasha turn your head a bit more towards me…" She trailed off, waiting for him to oblige, once he did she saw the purplish bruising that was on his upper cheek and going slightly around the outer perimeter of his eye. "Oh my goodness. What happened to you?"

Kagome snapped back to attention when she heard the question and opened her mouth to try and defend him, but Inuyasha quickly interjected.

"Yesterday I was bringing in groceries at my apartment and on my way up the stairs, I tripped on my shoelace and hit the railing, though luckily my face broke the fall and didn't go completely down the stairs," he brushed off with a laugh.

"Oh you poor thing," her mother replied, completely buying in to it. She made a small laugh at his face-breaking comment and nodded.

Kagome wanted to sigh in relief but only laughed with them.

"Well, I'll be out of your way soon enough. They need me at work so I'll be leaving in just a few minutes. I only stopped down because the food smelled so good, good job, Kagome," she smiled at her daughter.

"Thanks, mom. No one has been poisoned yet by my food so that's a good sign," she said as her eyes trailed over to Inuyasha who began silently clutching his stomach.

She only smirked and rolled her eyes, lightly jabbing him in the side.

Twenty minutes later, her mother was out the door, leaving the younger two alone.

As soon as Kagome knew her mother was not coming back in to the house because she "forgot something," she straddled Inuyasha's lap in the chair and began kissing him.

He grinned and kissed her back, lightly tracing his tongue along her bottom lip before slipping it past. Kagome threaded her fingers through his thick ebony tresses and pressed her body closer to his. Inuyasha broke the kiss and began working his way down her neck.

She tilted her head to the side, giving him as much room as she could; she then caught a glimpse at his bruise. It looked a lot worse in the kitchen light than it had upstairs in her bedroom. Unbeknownst to her, she made a sigh as she pondered if he would ever be able to get away from his home life. She knew it was pretty much the only life he knew. Could he really escape it even if he wanted to? He seemed to always function at a fairly normal level whenever he was with her, despite at first not always understanding why she was usually cheerful and nice.

Inuyasha heard her sigh but recognized that it was not one made out of pleasure and he looked up at her face, taking note of her pondering look. "What is it?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Kagome looked at him and shook her head, "nothing, sorry," she said, trying to distract him with another deep kiss.

He was not having it. "Sure doesn't seem like nothing," he said after turning his head out of the kiss. He had her stand up and he grabbed their empty plates off the table and took them to the sink to begin washing them.

Kagome leaned against the table, "it's your birthday. Can you not get irritated because I say the word, 'nothing?'"

Inuyasha only shrugged, "you get mad at me whenever I say something like that. I know it's my birthday. So maybe you could just let me know what's on your mind rather than hiding it."

He was right, she didn't like when he would avoid topics with her, it was only fair. "I was just thinking about your bruise and when you'd stop letting Naraku do that stuff to you."

Inuyasha only half-heartedly laughed as he finished washing the dishes and he turned toward her, "it's not about _letting_ him do this to me. I can't really compete with a man who wrestled and boxed for a lot of his younger years. I hate him, I really do. I'd rather see him _dead_…but I don't know."

Kagome walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, kissing his chest before laying her head against it. "It's alright. It can't last forever…"

"Hopefully," he mumbled, turning her chin up towards him and kissing her again. "Where were we?" he asked, smiling at her.

Kagome smiled back and pulled him by the collar upstairs to her room. As soon as they stepped into her room, she tugged at his shirt, signaling she wanted it off. Inuyasha quickly obeyed, tossing it down on to the floor. Kagome began kissing his chest and ran her hands down to his pajama pants.

Her fingers of one hand lightly moved over the front of the pants while her other hand was busy tracing over his abdomen. Kagome lightly nipped at his chest before moving down his body, dropping to her knees. Inuyasha's back was pressed against the bedroom door as he watched.

"You're really eager, I see," he remarked, not complaining in the slightest. The only response she gave him was pulling his pajama pants and his boxers off of his hips and running her tongue along the top of his shaft.

She didn't know where it was all coming from. Maybe it was just the excitement of the sex, or maybe it was because it was that and his birthday. Maybe somewhere deep down she wanted to try being the "aggressive one," who knew?

Inuyasha groaned as the head of his manhood went between her lips. Kagome wrapped a hand around his shaft and began lightly pumping as she started to suck, while her free hand went to work undoing the buttons on her pajama shirt.

His head went back against the door as one of his hands found her hair. Kagome glanced up at him, smirking around his member and began pumping and sucking harder, her tongue slyly moving along the underside of it. She felt him growing harder each time she took more of him into her awaiting mouth. She left out soft moans, sending the subtle vibrations along his shaft, causing his hips to buck slightly. Her hands moved from his shaft to his balls and she continued her motions, moaning more every time his hips would thrust forward.

He soon stopped her and met her down on the floor, kissing her as he got her bra undone. His lips traced over her perked nipples, his tongue flicking out gently to greet them. His hands roamed her body, massaging her sides, cupping her breasts, and eventually making their way down to her pajama shorts and underwear. They quickly got them off of her and without hesitation he began; Inuyasha kissed and nipped his way down her body. His hands grabbed her creamy, smooth thighs as his head settled between them.

Kagome's back arched off of the floor as his tongue ran up along her lower lips. He placed a kiss against her before turning his head and nipping at the inside of one of her thighs and then switching to the other to repeat the motion. Kagome drew her lower lip into her mouth letting out a soft whimper of pleasure. His tongue then returned to its original starting place, tracing along her outer lips before moving inward. One lap. Then two. His teasing was turning her on more and more.

She felt herself becoming more aroused and looked down at him, grabbing him by his hair and lightly pushing his head down more, trying to make him get the hint.

Inuyasha let out a soft laugh and started, his tongue gently tracing around her clit before moving up and down. He traced patterns against her; ones that made her toes curl. His hands rubbed around her thighs and up to her sides. Kagome wasn't the only one getting more turned on by the second; his shaft started to produce his pre-cum.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's thighs tense and her back arched again, with an audible moan coming from her lips. Her fingers gripped his hair harder as her climax hit. He smirked and helped her ride it out before kissing his way back up her body, stopping to pay extra attention to her breasts.

She started to giggle as she had every other time she had an orgasm. He grinned more once that happened, knowing it was affirmed. She pulled his head down to her and started kissing him. They both started moaning and panting softly as his shaft rubbed over her own nether. Kagome shifted her hips up, kissing him more, her tongue dancing with his as he began pressing his way in.

It was still uncomfortable for her, but it was not nearly as painful, in fact her eyes nearly rolled back from how good it felt to her. Inuyasha groaned as he entered her and he began to thrust. He kept himself braced with his forearm against the floor and his other hand moving along Kagome's side, sometimes gripping her hip and other times cupping her breast with his thumb tracing over her nipple.

Kagome rocked her hips against his, moaning with him. Her fingers moved from his hair to his shoulders and around to his back. Each thrust felt better and better, causing her nails to rake down his back.

His head tilted and he began to press kisses to her neck as his thrusts got faster, his tongue traced over her pulse that began to beat rapidly. Kagome's toes curled and her lower lip went back into her mouth. Her hands moved around to his chest, lightly pressing, signaling him to sit up.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and shifted, their bodies over, leaning back against her bed with her straddling him. She began kissing him again before leaning back and grinning, "I wanted to try and new position," she managed to get out between her soft huffs.

He smirked and nodded and went to kiss her again before being stopped by her finger. He looked at her in confusion; her eyes were suddenly very wide.

"We forgot something…" she said, moving off of his shaft.

Inuyasha's eyes then copied Kagome's, "I am so sorry…I wasn't thinking, I—"

"It's fine. I got too excited too. It's alright at least we didn't finish yet," she said with a smile, moving over to her night stand and pulling a condom out of the drawer before returning to Inuyasha.

She opened the packet and rolled the contraceptive onto his rigid shaft, stroking him before straddling him again. As he pressed back into her, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, trying to relax him out of his guilty state of mind.

The new position felt very different for both of them. Kagome began rocking her hips against him and started to move herself up and down along his shaft. His hands found her hips and helped guide her along. He moved his head down to the top of her breasts.

His member was at the perfect angle to continually brush against the sweet spot inside of her, it did not take long for Kagome to start to feel a warm sensation travel over her body; her panting became uneven as did Inuyasha's.

"I think…I'm gonna," before her sentence could finish she felt her climax arrive, her body tensed and pleasure overcame her expression. She immediately began kissing Inuyasha as she moved her hips faster, riding out the gratifying waves.

He quickly followed her over the edge, his muscles flexing as his seed shot out of him. A low groan escaped his lips between his kisses with Kagome.

Then the familiar sound of her giggles once more graced his ears. He smiled and looked at her, "at least this time was a success," he said in response.

"I don't know why I laugh…That has to be the worse tell ever," she said, running her index finger under the curve of his bottom lip.

"I don't know why it happens but it does. Besides, I like it," he responded, moving his hands along her curves as her fingers played with the locket around his neck.

"And I like you. Love you even," she smiled, kissing him again.

"You're not too bad yourself," he joked back at her.

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><p><strong>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND there you go. Late as hell and not that great of a chapter but at least it's something, right? Right? *Dodges bullets* Okay, okay. I know. I'm sorry. TT-TT But I tried. <strong>

**Maybe next chapter will be better which will hopefully come out anywhere between the 31****st**** and the 3****rd**** or 4****th****? I dunno. The 4****th**** would indeed make it too weeks but since you guys waited so patiently for this crap I may be able to get my ass in gear to get the next chapter out sooner. Maybe… *Shanked***

**Side note: **Oh also **sorry about not responding to any reviews this time around**, but please know that **I appreciate every single one that I get** and I **will continue responding this next time around**. I just didn't really get the chance to until now, but now I don't really see the point in responding to what you said last chapter when this one went up. **But feel free to always message me. :) I enjoy talking to you guys.**

**EXTRA SIDE NOTE: **For some reason FF kept making this chapter appear as my notice from a few days ago? Maybe I was the only one that was happening to. But let's hope me uploading this a THIRD time works. Sorry for any potential confusion, folks.


	43. Chapter 43

Alright took a few days longer than I thought but here we are! ^_^ I hope you guys enjoy despite my absence. I know that many of you won't be able to review the story since you already reviewed chapter 43 technically. But no worries! Plus you could always send me a message if you so choose or even review anonymously! Hope you're all doing well and that everyone's 2014 has been off to a good start!

Now without further ado…

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Inuyasha series, just this story and the other ones I've written.**

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><p><em>~Chapter 43~<em>

After cuddling on the floor for a short while, Inuyasha and Kagome finally stood up and got themselves cleaned up and redressed. Kagome led her beau downstairs again and they sat down on her couch in the living room.

"So, what do you want to do with the rest of the day, birthday boy?" she asked with a smile as she placed her head on his shoulder.

Inuyasha smirked and joked, "I'm not a boy. I'm an old man."

Kagome laughed a bit and rolled her eyes before shifting herself around and straddling his lap, "Fine. Then what do you want to do with the rest of the day, old man?" Before he could answer she placed a single chaste kiss to his lips and began to run her fingers through his hair. "I forgot to tell you that my mom said Buyo could stay over here. I finally told her about him and she said she didn't mind. Unless of course you've grown too attached to let him leave your apartment," she giggled.

He closed his eyes with a smirk and shook his head. He began both thinking and enjoying the feeling of her fingers and placed her arms around her. He opened his mouth to say something but paused and opened his eyes with a troubled look overtaking his expression.

Kagome noticed and stopped as well, sighing heavily in annoyance, "Let me guess. You yet again have to go to that bastard's house just so he can mistreat you and Kagura?"

"First of all it's not like that. I'm not going to his apartment. I don't want anything to do with him. I'm thinking of how to avoid him," Inuyasha quickly retorted, getting irritated just as the woman on his lap was. He watched as she stood up from the couch. "Really? You're mad at _me?_"

The brunette stopped in her tracks before she could walk away, "Yes! I'm mad at you! At Kagura! At him! I could never just let him do those things to me…Yet you guys stand for it. He's obviously a criminal, a drug-addict, and fucking hell he's even a rapist! Yet you guys just sit back and let him do as he wants. That's why he's all those things. Call the police, leave, do something!" she started to yell, completely shocked that Inuyasha showed surprise in her mood.

"You honestly think it's still that simple?" he asked back, trying to not raise his voice in return. He stood up along with her and continued, "I've told you. He's smart; he doesn't have much connection between the gang and himself. If anything he could just turn shit around on me. I use to sell drugs for him. There's proof of that I'm sure. He's had Kagura go on runs for him – when she's not in town, guess what? She's being a damn mule for him. Sure he's addicted to drugs, but you want to what? The cops around there don't care!" he retorted, his voice finally beginning to climb.

Kagome stood across from him, her arms crossed over her chest, about to intervene but was cut off.

"The ones that come around nowadays don't give a shit if someone is on drugs unless the person has the drugs on them. He never does unless he's currently doing them. If he's snorting cocaine then what he has on him is what he's going to use! As far as the—" he paused, thinking back to when Naraku forced himself on to Kagura in front of him. He had managed to not think much about it anymore and even Kagura pretended as though that particular moment never happened. His jaw tensed and he said in a softer tone, "It's just not something that's easy to talk about he could always put that on someone else as well. I've tried to convince Kagura to do something but she just tells me the same thing I'm telling you now." Inuyasha tried to step closer to her but Kagome only pulled away from him.

"You've given me a talk like this before…It just doesn't cut it. It all just sounds like some…some cover up! Or trick he's trying to get you to think he's going to do!" she replied, her temper calming down with his and not wanting to yell.

"You really don't get it and you won't get it because he's never ruined something for you or taken anything away from you and on that note he also didn't keep you from starving when you ran away from foster homes and he didn't give you a place to go when you didn't have much else. Kagura and I have at some point relied on that bastard and we both hate him for that; it's just another thing he has over us. Life over there is really different from the picture-perfect one you have around here. I thought you understood that by now. I don't know if they're just his scare tactics but it's also not one I really want to test," he grumbled. He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Kagome bit her lip in thought before replying, "Maybe I don't understand. I don't believe that just because someone did something seemingly nice in the past means they can get away with whatever they please in the future. I can just hope that someone does something about him one of these days before he does something else to an innocent person. I don't want to fight on your birthday but I also don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll be alright. Uhm, you mentioned Buyo could stay here, I think that'll be a good idea, I'll go get him and if you don't mind I might even be able to get Kagura to come over here for once," he suggested, quickly trying to change the subject to something more light.

Kagome smiled becoming excited, "Yeah. I'd like that. We can continue talking about the other stuff later," she added, already knowing what her beau was trying to do.

Inuyasha nodded once, happy to at least be past the subject for now. "I'll go get him then. Better to do it now rather than later.

Kagome draped her arms over his shoulders and kissed him gently, "I love you," she whispered against his lips before pulling away.

"I love you too," he replied with a small smile back. Inuyasha then turned and left out of the front door, going out to the driveway, getting in the car and was quickly headed off to his apartment.

As he drove he ran a hand through his hair, huffing in frustration. _'Maybe she's right…'_ he thought to himself, thinking back to all the times he should have stopped Naraku. There were so many opportunities, yet he took advantage of none. He began to put more blame on himself but immediately stopped.

'_It's not my fault that Naraku's a prick. It's not,'_ Inuyasha continued to repeat to himself silently. The only solution would be for Naraku to die; it would end the reign of terror on Inuyasha's life and Kagura's. _'Bah…Who am I kidding? I'm no killer. Just like he said…'_ Inuyasha reminded himself. In addition, killing Naraku would only serve to get himself in trouble.

He stopped at a red light and put his head in his hands, breathing deeply, "We have to move," he said aloud. That had to be the solution. Kagura and he would have to leave that side of town. But how? That maniac would just follow them no matter where they went or worse, would kill them. Even if they could somehow move, how far away would they have to go? There was no way he was going to leave Kagome or going to college behind.

_HONK! HONK!_

The abrupt and loud noise from behind took Inuyasha out of his thought as he looked up and saw that the light was green. He quickly pulled through, waving his hand out of his window hoping that the apology would reach the other driver. His thoughts were not together and they were not something that could be figured out in one stoplight.

Soon enough he was on his side of town. _'Well, here we go,'_ he thought to himself in chagrin as he got out of the car. Slamming the door shut and turning around he nearly jumped backwards, startled by the sudden appearance of the very man he hated.

"Why so jumpy?" Naraku asked with a grin plastered on his expression.

"You came out of nowhere…" Inuyasha muttered, clenching his jaw in frustration.

"Now, now, birthday boy – don't be such a grump," Naraku said in a stern voice, grabbing the back of Inuyasha's neck in a tight grip. It was not enough to hurt, but Inuyasha understood the message: he was on Naraku's time now. Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders in a quick motion to release himself from Naraku's grip.

The older man stopped and looked at the defiant young man that stood in front of him and smirked, "I take it, you don't trust me."

Inuyasha was not going to have it this time. Naraku was not going to control him. "I'm just here to bring something back to Kagome. Then I'll be on my way," he replied in a monotonous voice, quickly turning and heading toward his apartment.

Naraku waited a few seconds before calling out, "That's fine. But I guess you won't be getting a 'Happy birthday' from dear old Kagura," he grinned, knowing that Inuyasha could not walk away after hearing that.

Inuyasha clenched his fists and his jaw tensed before facing Naraku once more, this time with some distance between them. "I'm tired of you controlling me…and Kagura. If you hurt her anymore I swear I'll—"

"You'll what? Attack me? Have me kick the crap out of you only for it to be broken up by the very woman who's supposed 'honor' you're trying to protect?" Naraku scoffed with a laugh, "Only for you to run with your tail between your legs. You're a boy who has been hiding behind others and excuses all his life," the deranged man continued. "'Oh poor me! My name is Inuyasha and my father got killed so I'm helpless! I killed my mother because I was born! Pity me!'" Naraku mocked.

"Shut the fuck up!" Inuyasha shouted moving closer to the older man.

"Reality doesn't 'shut the fuck up,'" Naraku quoted again, grabbing Inuyasha by the front of his shirt bringing them as close together as he could. "I gave you your opportunity to get rid of me. You didn't go through with it. It's _your_ fault I'm still here," he laughed. "Even now, as I give you plenty of reason to assault me. You won't. You won't do it unless you think you're saving some useless woman; unless there is someone there to plead to me to spare your life once again."

"I don't need anyone to save me. I don't attack you because I'm not sinking to your level. You're not. Worth. My. Energy," Inuyasha replied with stern purpose as he grabbed Naraku's hands and roughly shoved him away. "Where is Kagura? She's coming with me."

"Going with you in what car? Do you forget? This is one of my cars that you've been using the entire time. In fact, it's easy to say that you're stealing my property," the older man said, obviously becoming more agitated.

"Then we'll take the bus. We'll walk. I'll call Kagome. There are options that get us far, far away from the likes of you. Now where is she?" Inuyasha replied through gritted teeth.

Naraku's temper swiftly spiked and the man shouted in rage, "You will never be free of me! I own you both! I own this neighborhood and all those who live here! This is my territory, my domain and no one takes that away from me! Do you understand that?!"

'_I need to find Kagura…He's officially gone fucking mental,'_ Inuyasha quickly thought to himself as he stepped away from the drug-addict. He hurried across the street to Naraku's apartment before the older man could follow and practically kicked down the door to the residence despite the door being partially ajar.

"Kagura?!" Inuyasha called out in a hurry. He quickly went to where he knew Naraku's bedroom was and opened the door almost breathing a sigh of relief to see that Kagura – despite some fresh bruises – was alright.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here…I thought you were going to be with Kagome today," the woman said in confusion.

"I'm getting you out of here, alright? Naraku's gone crazy again. I don't want him hurting you anymore. We can figure out what to do later, but for now. Come on. Before he comes up here, he'll be here any second!" he said in what seemed like one huff of breath. His heart was pounding in his ears. He was finally doing it. He was going to escape Naraku and be able to live a free and healthy life. He'll be damned if that maniac had any more control…He'd—

"No," Kagura replied.

Inuyasha's breath stopped. "Wh-what?" he asked, disconcerted.

"I said no," Kagura repeated, standing up from the bed. "It's never that easy, Inuyasha…I don't want to be a pessimist but he'll never leave us alone. Not if we both leave him. He might forget in time if you go. But I have too much "time invested" to ever leave apparently," she explained almost lifelessly.

"I don't understand. Kagura, I won't let him hurt you or Kagome, or me ever again…" Inuyasha began to say.

"Where would we stay, Inuyasha? You can only stay in motels and hotels for so long. We can't stay at Kagome's house. Her mother, as you say, is still adjusting to you. How would she react to…_me_…coming in to her house as well? What about when you two are in college, huh? I know you might stay local, but she might go somewhere else. Then what?" she further reasoned.

It was a weight coming down on him. He couldn't find the words he wanted or needed. How could everyone all be making sense at the same time? "I'd take care of us…" he let out, those five words being all he could in fact say.

"You need to take care of yourself. I'm a big girl, I'll figure some stuff out," Kagura reassured him.

"Well I'm not leaving this side of town without you," Inuyasha stated, looking his foster-mother in the eyes.

Kagura sighed and shook her head, "I can't change your mind can I?"

"No," Inuyasha simply replied back. He moved in to hug the woman in front of him. During their embrace his stomach sank. It had been much longer than a few seconds yet Naraku wasn't yet in the apartment. He was sure that the man would have been close on his heels.

Without saying anything to Kagura, Inuyasha quickly ran back out of the apartment. The man was nowhere to be found. The only evidence that he had been outside was the smashed windshield on the car that Inuyasha had been using and a slashed tire.

"So much for driving back…" Inuyasha said aloud under his breath.

Kagura was soon outside, standing with him, "Where is he?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"That's the problem…I don't know," Inuyasha replied. "I'm going to go check my apartment," he added, starting to walk back across the street.

Kagura quickly trailed behind him. "If he's in there, don't lose your composure, okay? He's likely destroying a lot of things, but you have to remain numb to it. He wants your reaction. That's usually all he ever wants out of someone…anger and fear," she advised, her sentence trailing off as she looked down to the ground.

Inuyasha only nodded, not sure if he would actually keep to her advice if he saw Naraku destroying something of his or especially Kagome's. The two slowly approached the apartment door and Inuyasha pressed his ear against the door.

_Silence._

It made him even more nervous. He turned the handle. Locked. Just as it had been when he left it, but Naraku could have just locked himself inside the apartment, couldn't he have? Inuyasha took out his keys and unlocked the door as quietly as he could.

He pushed it open and peered inside, worried for what he was about to see. Instead, they saw nothing. His apartment was exactly how he had left it.

No destruction. No Naraku.

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><p><strong>Alright so we'll end it there for now ;D This has actually gone a completely different way than what I had first intended. At least for this chapter and a few subsequent chapters. But it all still works :D So I'm excited for you guys to see where this story is headed and I hope there is still at least one person out there to read this! Thank you so much again. ^_^ The next chapter has no promised date but I'll try and get it out ASAP<strong>


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